Defining success in a developing country's innovation ecosystem: The case of Rwanda

Development, adoption and use of humanitarian technologies are influenced by a country's innovation ecosystem. In the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) domain, tech or innovation hubs are critical to promoting entrepreneurship and fostering startups. In analyses of these hubs, success is often measured by the number of high growth startups created. However, while useful in the context of Silicon Valley, we argue that for developing countries such measures are misguided and lack nuance. We provide an alternative set of eight categories of success measures, developed through a case study of ICT entrepreneurship in Rwanda. The eight success categories reflect alternative definitions of success, capturing the value hubs create beyond launching high-growth startups and were gathered from groups of stakeholders including entrepreneurs, mentors, tech hub staff, and government officials. Understanding differences between these groups' views will enable better service delivery by tech hubs and more realistic expectations of their role in promoting innovation. Exploring these different dimensions of success and value also provides insights into how innovation ecosystems and tech hubs in developing countries can be better supported. This research is relevant to development professionals, researchers, and government officials with an interest in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.