Africa's Fourth Industrial Revolution

Description

With the rise of new technologies and disruptive innovations reshaping the global economy, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has been characterized as a fusion between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. From the increasing adoption of mobile devices to the entrepreneurial use of 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and robotics, trends across Africa speak to the continent's potential for growth and sustainable development in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this innovative and timely study, Landry Signe examines the meaning, drivers, and implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for Africa. Drawing upon comparative, continent-wide analysis, Signe powerfully challenges our understandings of Africa's transformation and sheds light on the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to change and shape the Global South. By defining and investigating the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Signe develops a valuable framework for further study and suggests strategies that Africans and their global partners can use to capitalize upon this rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Landry Signe is Executive Director and Professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Distinguished Fellow at Stanford University. He is a world-renowned professor and leading practitioner, who has won over seventy awards and distinctions globally for his academic, policy, business, and leadership accomplishments, including being recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Andrew Carnegie Fellow, Desmond Tutu Fellow, Rubenstein Fellow, and Wilson Center Public Policy Fellow. He has authored numerous key publications, including Innovating Development Strategies in Africa (2017), African Development, African Transformation (2018), and Unlocking Africa's Business Potential (2020).

'This is an incisive, timely, and ambitious look at how African countries can become global leaders in innovation and technology during the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Professor Landry Signe provides world-class evidence-based insight, new strategic thinking, and innovative solutions to the most pressing issues facing Africa and emerging markets.' H.E. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, 6th President of the Republic of Mauritius 'This is a needed wake-up call for those who are wondering where the future of Africa is heading. More technological innovation, rooted in locally-induced entrepreneurship is giving leeway to a new form of growth model, unprecedented in its unfolding. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to get a glimpse of the future of the Continent.' Mark Esposito, Hult International Business School & Harvard University 'Professor Landry provides invaluable insights on how the Fourth Industrial Revolution is likely to play out, and how this digital revolution will shape the continent's future. The book is a must-read for those who want to understand how to navigate Africa's emerging technological landscape.' Witney W. Schneidman, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs 'This book will change the way you see Africa's transformation and potential in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Everyone, especially leaders interested in understanding how the Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing the developing world, and how policy and business leaders can shape it to capture its dividends and mitigate risks, must read this book.' Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum