The National Innovation System in Mozambique and its relevance for development

In 1975 Mozambique attained its independence from Portugal, but it was only in 1992 with the establishment of a peace agreement after the extended civil war that the country was able to initiate its development process including the undertaking of research and development (R & D) efforts. Government and international cooperation provided the support for the R & D programmes and projects, mainly in public institutions and universities, as well as for disseminating its outputs. Research outputs are certainly needed for informing policy and transferring them to accelerate economic and social developments. In this context, the project ‘Closing the Loop’ seeks to ensure the awareness, understanding and ownership of research outputs principally but not exclusively by decision makers. Its goals are to increase the relevance and utilization of research outputs, thereby enhancing the influence of researchers, organizations and institutions on the development process.