This Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy Review was prepared by UNCTAD at the request ofthe Ministry of Higher Education of Zambia.

As the focal point in the United Nations system for the integrated treatment of trade and interrelated issuesof finance, technology, investment and sustainable development, UNCTAD supports member States in theseareas through a combination of consensus-building, policy analysis and technical cooperation. Within thisframework, the objective of this Review is to contribute to the development of national capacities for designand implementation of science, technology and innovation policies, plans and programmes. Such activitiesaim to improve the competitiveness of firms and industries in a global economy in which knowledge is anincreasingly important factor. They also target the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to secure a moreinclusive and sustainable development path, in the understanding that science, technology and innovationare critical means of implementation of the Agenda for Sustainable Development embodied by the SDGs.This review is intended to be a tool for learning and reflection. It is not a rating mechanism but an analyticalinstrument which examines key elements of the national innovation system from a neutral perspective.