NAIROBI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- StrategiΩαc collaboration between African universΩ±ities and industry is ♣β©an imperative in order to spur ecoσ≤♥≈nomic growth through innovations and e∏↕←§ntrepreneurship, experts said on Thu<∞rsday.

Beatrice Muganda, Director of Higher σ★ΩEducation at the Nairobi-based th€&∏ink tank, Partnership for African Socia><l and Governance Research, said in a c→₹>πommentary published by a local daiβ±ly that Africa's economic $​and social renewal hinges on ro&φbust industry and academia linkages.

"Universities would be better abl‌✘•e to make meaningful contribution to   society if they worked with the private♠φ≥↔ sector to develop innovations th ✔♦at would catalyze economic growth,→☆₩→" Muganda said.

Demand for higher educationδ✘ across Sub-Saharan Africa has  ₩risen tremendously this decadπ×≤e thanks to a stable macro-economic∞‌π and political environment.

Muganda noted that a critical↓←®✘ mass of highly skille™★♣£d young Africans is behind th$★♠e continent's latest wave of¥σ socio-economic transformation.

She emphasized that ha>↑rnessing the entrepreneur and innov • ative spirit of educated y☆§outh will solve Africa's endemic chα↑♦±allenges like poverty, un≠≈employment, diseases and ✘ crime.

"A more imaginative engagement b ÷etween institutions of higher lea↑×∑≠rning and industry wou→♣α↑ld spur growth of inform₽≥ al businesses that curre®☆≥≈ntly employ 80 percent of the Afrε€✘™ican workforce," said Mugan'©↔da.

African governments shoul​§d create a conducive po↑↔§εlicy and regulatory environment to prγ≠omote industry-academia linkages.₩€®

Muganda said that state fundin¥♥g is crucial to promote research an§ ↓ d innovation agenda at the u∞∏$niversities to help so☆©→lve pressing challenges Ω£like food insecurity, disease and uneε←₽×mployment.

She noted that adequat♦™™♠e research budget in th¥<↑e universities will promote growth of lγ§$ight manufacturing in Africa£‌γ.

"With enough support for engineeri​‍♦©ng departments, African states can for≥π example produce motorcy​✘∞cles and their spare parts lo¶ cally rather than rely on ex←∏‌₽pensive imports," Muganda said.

Muganda said that industry-academi¥ >a linkage will help briσ>™Ωdge skills gap that remains a huge ch©←€≠allenge in Africa.

Her remarks were echoed by Kevit De≠​ε♥sai, the chairman of Pri©€vate Sector-Academia Link in Ke‍♥nya, who stressed that a partnership ¥₩↔between universities and b"≈±φusinesses has potential to c€ ®onvert Africa into an industrial pow®δ≤erhouse.