Tanzania bets on unified data system to unlock research and innovation potential

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has launched a National Information System for Science, Technology and Innovation (NISSTI), a strategic digital platform designed to transform how research data is collected, shared and used to guide national development decisions.

The launch, held on July 2, 2026, during the takeoff of 40th anniversary celebrations of the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH)), marks a major policy shift aimed at addressing long-standing fragmentation in the country’s science, technology and innovation (STI) ecosystem.

Presenting the system, Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, said NISSTI is intended to become a central pillar in strengthening coordination and evidence-based planning in the STI sector.

“Today we are launching a strategic national platform that will strengthen coordination, review and practice of science, technology, and innovation information in Tanzania,” he said.

For decades, Tanzania’s research landscape has been characterised by multiple unconnected databases across universities, ministries, research institutes and innovation hubs.

While these institutions continue to generate valuable scientific knowledge, the absence of a unified national system has made it difficult to translate research into policy, commercial products and scalable innovations.

Therefore, the NISSTI platform is designed to serve as a single national gateway for research outputs, innovation data and scientific information. It is expected to connect researchers, policymakers, universities, innovators and private sector actors in one integrated system.

“The platform will support evidence-based planning, research development, innovation management, institutional coordination, and strategic decision-making,” the minister added, calling on all stakeholders to actively participate in updating and using the system.

From fragmented systems to integrated knowledge

The introduction of NISSTI responds to a structural weakness that has affected Tanzania’s research ecosystem for years

According to Prof Mkenda, the success of the platform will depend on collective responsibility. “The success of this platform depends on collective participation, institutional commitment, and shared vision for the future of Tanzania’s innovation ecosystem,” he said.

He further underscored the government’s commitment to strengthening research and innovation environments, stating: “We will continue supporting initiatives to promote digital transformation, research excellence, youth-led innovation, and strategic partnerships for national development.”

Supporting the policy direction, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Prof Carolyne Nombo, said the initiative marks a national effort to mainstream science, technology and innovation into Tanzania’s long-term development agenda.

She described the 40th anniversary of COSTECH not only as a commemorative milestone but also as a national campaign.

“The 40th anniversary celebrations of COSTECH are a national campaign aimed at making science, technology and innovation a public agenda and a key instrument in achieving Vision 2050,” she said.

Prof Nombo stressed that the priority is ensuring knowledge generated in universities, research institutions and innovation hubs directly contributes to key economic sectors.

COSTECH’s role in a new STI architecture

At the institutional level, COSTECH has been positioned as the coordinating hub for the new system. Its leadership emphasised that NISSTI is not just a database, but a national infrastructure for managing research and innovation outcomes.

COSTECH Commission Chairman, Prof John Kondoro said the system must directly inform national priorities and investment decisions.

“Information obtained through NISSTI should form the basis for setting national priorities, guiding investment, and increasing the productivity of research and innovation,” he said.

He added that the system must become a trusted and functional national asset: “We want NISSTI to be a living system, one that is credible and that supports Tanzania in building a knowledge-based economy towards Vision 2050.”

Prof Kondoro further noted that the Commission will closely oversee implementation to ensure government directives are executed effectively and with measurable results.

Analysts say the significance of NISSTI lies in its attempt to resolve one of the most persistent barriers to innovation in Tanzania: fragmented knowledge systems.

Education and innovation policy analyst, Dr Rehema Mallya, said the country has long struggled with scattered research data.

“Tanzania has produced a large volume of research over the years, but much of it remains invisible or inaccessible. This leads to duplication and weak policy uptake,” she said.

By integrating fragmented systems into a single national platform, the government aims to strengthen evidence-based policymaking, reduce duplication of research and improve the commercialisation of innovations.

However, its success will depend on institutional discipline, sustained investment and the willingness of stakeholders to treat research data as a shared national resource rather than isolated institutional property.