What will it take for Africa to move beyond adopting health technologies to developing, owning, and scaling the next generation of biotechnology and deep-tech solutions?
Digital health solutions are expanding rapidly across Africa, helping expand access to healthcare and opening new opportunities for innovation. The opportunity now is to connect Africa’s growing talent, research, and innovation capacity with the infrastructure, financing, partnerships, markets and policies needed to turn African innovation into locally responsive and globally competitive health technologies, businesses and industries.
In the next episode of the Health in Africa series, Dr. Robert Karanja, Founder and Executive Director of Biolinx Africa, biomedical scientist, entrepreneur, and health innovation leader, will explore what it will take to build a thriving African health innovation ecosystem—from digital health to deep tech and biotechnology.
Drawing on practical experience from Biolinx Africa, Dr. Karanja will examine how Africa can build the capabilities and enabling platforms needed to move beyond primarily adopting and adapting technologies towards also developing, owning and scaling innovations of its own.
The session will explore:
- Africa’s innovation potential: Turning local talent, knowledge and health challenges into new technologies, businesses, and industries.
- Beyond digital health: Unlocking opportunities in deep tech and biotechnology.
- Building the ecosystem: Connecting research, investment, policy, infrastructure, and markets to scale innovation.
- Pathways for young people: Exploring careers and entrepreneurship across STEM, business, policy, and finance.
- From consumers to creators: Building Africa’s capacity to develop, own and scale health technologies.
Who Should Attend?
- Students, Young Innovators & STEM Leaders: Discover emerging career and venture opportunities at the intersection of health, technology, business, and policy.
- Higher Learning Institutions & Researchers: Explore how academic institutions can strengthen pathways from research and discovery to commercialization, industry partnership and real-world impact.
- Entrepreneurs, Investors & Ecosystem Leaders: Explore approaches to financing, market development and scaling health and deep-tech ventures in African contexts.
- Policymakers & Funders: Explore how enabling policies, financing mechanisms and public-private partnerships can strengthen Africa’s health innovation ecosystem.
Speaker
Dr. Robert Karanja is a biomedical scientist, entrepreneur, and health innovation leader with over 20 years of experience advancing health innovation across Africa. As Founder and Executive Director of Biolinx Africa, he works to advance Africa’s biotechnology and biopharma ecosystem through innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment. Previously, he co-founded and led Villgro Africa, where he worked to strengthen the ecosystem supporting health and life-science entrepreneurs and ventures across the continent.
Dr. Karanja is passionate about helping Africa move from being primarily a consumer of health technologies towards becoming a stronger creator, owner, and global contributor to transformative health solutions.
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