Generally, it is, mostly, believed that innovations grow faster, in urban areas, due to the high concentration of people living there, than in rural areas.
This assumption is, actually true, because a high concentration of people, living in a geographical location, will aid the growth and also, help an innovation, scale very fast.
Technology has, basically, simplified almost everything we can think of and contrary to peoples’ belief that, innovation will grow faster, in the cities, research carried out, by Penn State University, says otherwise. It was reported that, rural areas may, actually, be hotbeds of innovation.
According to the research, it was stated that, hidden innovators, in the rural areas, tend to bring a wide range of social and economic benefits to, not only the local businesses and its environs but, also, the wider economy.
One of the researchers explained that, “the way we traditionally measure innovation is, very narrow and focuses, primarily, on new products, or, processes that result in a patent, or, involve R&D spending.
This overlooks another kind of innovation, which is the incremental improvements that, businesses make to their products and processes, as a result of information they obtained from outside their firm”.
The researcher further stated that, “our measure, shows that, this latent, or, hidden innovation is, at least, as important to local income and employment growth as, patent-level innovation.”
Africa is a very fertile ground that is, richly, blessed with human and natural resources, coupled with the fact that, the continent is, filled with billions of opportunities that are just waiting, to be tapped.
Innovations have, however, been greatly concentrated, in the urban areas, which growth can, only be attributed to the migration of people, from the rural areas, due to one factor, or, another, but one factor that stands out is, the urge to achieve a better standard of living.
Now, is the time that, we need to have a paradigm shift and the government and private organisations, need to start paying attention, to the rural areas, to enable the even distribution, of the country’s wealth.
Rural innovation, needs all the technical support it can get, to fully grow and develop.
One such technical support is, the availability of broadband penetration as, without it, the rural areas, will never, truly, realize their potentials and more strains and overpopulation, will be in the urban areas.
Featured Image: fortune of africa
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