Leveraging Open Research to accelerate implementation of the Africa Union Science, Technology and Innovation strategy for Africa 2034

The African Union's Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2034) sets an ambitious continental agenda across five priority sectors. This policy paper makes the case that its success depends on strengthening how knowledge is produced, shared, and applied, and positions Open Research as a structural requirement for implementation. Focusing on two priority sectors, health and ICT, the paper draws on evidence from initiatives such as the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Consortium, The Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa), The Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) Africa and National Research and Education Networks including the Kenya Education Network Trust (KENET) and the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU). It maps regional progress across West, East, North and Southern Africa, while highlighting persistent gaps in digital infrastructure, funding, researcher incentives and data governance. A theory of change illustrates how coordinated Open Research investment can deliver stronger digital health systems, improved pandemic preparedness, responsible AI development and greater scientific sovereignty. The paper concludes with four policy opportunities: 1) building coordinated continental research data infrastructure, 2) establishing responsible data governance frameworks for AI, 3) positioning Science Granting Councils as drivers of Open Research adoption, and 4) embedding Open Science skills across universities and research institutions.