World Report data aids entrepreneurship in Africa
March/ April 2022 | Volume 21 Number 2
Image courtesy of the NIH World Report
World Report allows quick access to data about global research investments.
When helping startups in healthcare and life sciences technology in Africa, Dr. Robert Karanja often turns to World Report (WR) for insight. “Our work in global health innovation is integrated in a global value chain of ideas and finance. Thus, the ability to see the flow of funding and the areas of research receiving funding is great intel that informs our strategy and operations," Dr. Karanja explained.
Dr. Karanja is co-founder of Villgro Africa, an early-stage business incubator and investor that seeks to support startups with a global social impact focus in the African region.
Public tools such as WR help entrepreneurs like Dr. Karanja see where research funding is going. It also helps him identify experts in medical and scientific areas, such as screening infants for pneumonia. A search on WR reveals over 1,000 pneumonia research projects underway at 720 organizations in 61 countries.
Dr. Karanja added, “A tool that could link [patents to PubMed] would be very useful. Understanding a patent's nuances informs a startup's freedom to operate." NIH's Office of Portfolio Analysis will consider this feedback as it develops the next version of World Report, part of a portfolio analysis tool suite to be released this summer.
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Updated April 19, 2022
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