Intellectual Property and Technological Innovation: Comparative Analysis from African Countries

This paper highlights the effects of intellectual property on technological innovation in Africa from 2007-2022. The Driscoll and Kraay estimation approach was employed to overcome cross-sectional dependence, heteroskedasticity and error autocorrelation. The static panel model specification, followed by the estimation technique robust to cross-sectional dependence augmented by country- and year-fixed effects, enabled overcoming cross-sectional dependence, endogeneity, heteroscedasticity, and error autocorrelation. The results indicate that intellectual property positively affects technological innovation in African countries. Comparative analysis reveals that membership in an intellectual property organisation is more beneficial. Furthermore, the results also show that in non-member countries, the rule of law can play a significant role in the relationship between intellectual property and technological innovation. Governments should promote the membership of non-member countries in IP organisations, as such memberships standardise intellectual property protection rules and thus create an environment conducive to innovation