Conclusion

Research funding agencies, especially in Africa, face an increased challenge in developing, sustainably funding and managing RI platforms, due to the high costs associated with this type of long-term investment. This section summarises the key elements of the RI investment and management practices and provides a set of interventions needed to successfully develop and manage RI, which plays an important role in the STI ecosystem. It further provides recommendations for addressing some challenges associated with building a well-coordinated RI system based on examples from South Africa. Cases presented in this book will serve as a learning tool for the continent’s RI ecosystem.