Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

has a number of government and other institutions that are responsible for supporting scientific and technological innovation, including the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Science and Technology Information Center and the

Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute The Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI; ) is an Ethiopian institute for research, training and infrastructure development in space science, created in 2016. Creation The Ethiopian Space Science Society (ESSS) was created as ...

Overview

Like many

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a less-developed Secondary sector of the economy, industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to developed countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. ...

, Ethiopia has had restricted resources to allocate to science and technology, but it has been developing policy ambitions in this area for some time. In 1975, the

Government of Ethiopia The government of Ethiopia () is the federal government of Ethiopia. It is structured in a framework of a federal republic, federal parliamentary system, parliamentary republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, prime minister is the hea ...

established the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission (ESTC). In 1993, the

Transitional Government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revoluti ...

announced a National Science and Technology Policy intended to build national activities in science and technology, and to coordinate related activities and to enhance their contribution to national economic development. Ethiopia was ranked 130th in the

Global Innovation Index The Global Innovation Index is an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for and success in innovation, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It was started in 2007 by INSEAD and ''World Business'', a Britis ...

in 2024.

Information technology

The growth of

Information Technology Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...

has been closely related to the introduction of computers into Ethiopia by foreign suppliers.

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

helped to introduced technology to Ethiopia in 1962 with the 1421/814 accounting machine. In 1963, IBM introduced a semi-mechanical

accounting machine An accounting machine, or bookkeeping machine or recording-adder, was generally a calculator and printer combination tailored for a specific commercial activity such as billing, payroll, or ledger. Accounting machines were widespread from the ear ...

at the

Economic Commission for Africa The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA or ECA; , CEA) was established in 1958 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council to encourage economic cooperation among its member states (the nations of the African continent) fol ...

(ECA), followed by the auto code 1440 model, commissioned by the Ethiopian Electric Light and Power Authority. The IBM 360/20 electronic data-processing system was introduced between 1965 and 1970, with a capacity of 8-16 KB. The transition from card to tape-disk system was made in 1970s. The first programming language was Report Program Generator, which was used in Ethiopia until 1986. As suppliers increased competition, major technological changes attracted attention. The

NCR Corporation NCR Voyix Corporation, previously known as NCR Corporation and National Cash Register, is a global software, consulting and technology company providing several professional services and Electronics, electronic products. It manufactured Self-c ...

introduced

cash register A cash register, sometimes called a till or automated money handling system, is a mechanical or electronic device for registering and calculating transactions at a point of sale. It is usually attached to a Cash register#Cash drawer, drawer fo ...

s, mechanical accounting machines and

payroll A payroll is a list of employment, employees of a company who are entitled to receive compensation as well as other work benefits, as well as the amounts that each should obtain. Along with the amounts that each employee should receive for time ...

technology. The first NCR model minicomputer was installed in 1976, with 64 KB of main memory and 9.6 MB of

hard disk A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating hard disk drive platter, pla ...

. The corporation also installed 850 minicomputers between 1977 and 1984.

Robotics

Robotics in Ethiopia is emerging, with a growing high tech ecosystem known as ‘Sheba Valley’. In 2016 programmer Betelhem Dessie become the youngest entrepreneur in the country when he founded iCog, an AItech company responsible for developing Sophia robot. The robot made a landmark visit to Ethiopia in July 2018, attracting many dignitaries to the Information and Communication Technology International Expo, in Addis Ababa. She also met with Prime Minister

Abiy Ahmed Abiy Ahmed Ali (; ; born 15 August 1976) is an Ethiopian politician who is the current Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 2018 and the leader of the Prosperity Party since 2019. He rose through the ranks of government via the Information Networ ...

Ethiopian Telecommunication Authority

The Ethiopian Telecommunication Authority (ETA) was established in January 1953, to provide national and international telecommunication services. The ETA is led by a chief executive under the direction of board of directors, chaired by the Minister of Transport and Communication. It is state-owned and has administrative and financial autonomy. The service provided

telephony Telephony ( ) is the field of technology involving the development, application, and deployment of telecommunications services for the purpose of electronic transmission of voice, fax, or data, between distant parties. The history of telephony is ...

telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...

and

telex Telex is a telecommunication Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communica ...

services. In 1977, it was transferred to the Ministry of Information and Guidance.

Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute

In 2004, the

(ESSTI) was established to create an observatory in the

Entoto Mount Entoto () is the highest peak on the Entoto Mountains, which overlooks the city of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. It reaches 3,200 meters above sea level. Overview It is a historical place where Emperor Menelik II resided and built ...

Mountains in 2014. It was formally established by the cabinet of

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Hailemariam Desalegn Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe (; born 19 July 1965) is an Ethiopian politician who served as Prime Minister of Ethiopia, prime minister of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2018. He also previously served as deputy prime minister and Ministry of Foreign Affair ...

under regulation No. 916/2015. The institute provides various tasks relating to

space science Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...

and

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astron ...

technology. In December 2019, Ethiopia launched its first multi-spectral

remote sensing Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an physical object, object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring inform ...

satellite. According to President

Sahle-Work Zewde Sahle-Work Zewde (; born 21 February 1950) is an Ethiopians, Ethiopian diplomat who served as president of Ethiopia from 2018 to 2024, the List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government, first woman to hold the office. She w ...

, the satellite "will provide all the necessary data on changes in climate and weather-related phenomena that would be utilized for the country’s key targets in agriculture, forestry as well as natural resources protection initiatives." By January 2020, satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing (MAIT) began with funding from

European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the 27 member states. It is the largest multilateral financial institution in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt sol ...

(EIB).

Natural resources

Ethiopia has significant natural resources that could make an important contribution to future developments in science and technology. For example,

geothermal Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to: * Geothermal energy, useful energy generated and stored in the Earth * Geothermal activity, the range of natural phenomena at or near the surface, associated with release of the Earth's internal he ...

energy could soon be an important source of electricity nationally, complementing the hydropower potential of the country. Ethiopia also has important resources in terms of minerals and metals.

Medicine

Ethiopia has been known for the use of

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...

for millennia. Use of modern medicines began in the 1890s under

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Menelik II Menelik II ( ; horse name Aba Dagnew (Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 August 1844 – 12 December 1913), baptised as Sahle Maryam (ሣህለ ማርያም ''sahlä maryam'') was king of Shewa from 1866 to 1889 and Emperor of Et ...

with medical envoys consisting mainly of Italian and Russian citizens, who mainly assisted foreign missionaries and urban elites at that time. Medical provision was further expanded by Emperor

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...

in the 1930s and the Ministry of Public Health was established in 1948. Studies have shown that Ethiopian health facilities are faced with antibiotic overprescribing, short consultation and dispensing times, poor labelling of medicines and poor availability of key drugs. Despite Western medicine becoming more widespread, many Ethiopians still rely on traditional medicine, especially in rural areas. Ethiopia's use of traditional medicaments is highly intricate and includes the use of

herbs Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnish (food), garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typi ...

spiritual healing Energy medicine is a branch of alternative medicine based on a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel "healing energy" into patients and effect positive results. The field is defined by shared beliefs and practices relating to m ...

, bone-setting and minor surgical procedures, that may vary between different

ethnic groups An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, rel ...

Education

Ethiopia has greatly increased funding for the education sector over the past two decades. In 2016-17, education accounted for 27 percent of government expenditure, higher than the commitment to internationally agreed target of 20 percent. Pre-primary school enrolment has expanded from less than 300,000 pupils in 2008-09 (4%), to over 3.5 million (45%) in 2019-20. Primary school enrolment rose from 3 million learners in the early 1990s to over 20 million in 2019-20 (Ministry of Education, 2020). However, despite this progress, learning levels have remained low and many children still lack basic literacy and numeracy skills after they complete their primary education. Ethiopia has 59 universities to provide higher education.

Science and Technology Information Center

The Science and Technology Information Center provides information on scientific and technological activity throughout the country. Its facilities include a digital library, patent information system, automated personnel management and databases. The institution is designated as the highest body in agency for initiating, strengthening and co-ordinating various facilities and services concerning the collection, organization and dissemination of scientific and technological information.

Science museum

On 4 October 2022, an Ethiopia Museum of Art and Science was opened in Addis Ababa. The science museum sits on 7 hectares of land and contains scientific and technological innovations and exhibitions with various halls, and cafeteria.

List of scientists

References

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