The book can be downloaded from http://sicd.se/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/The-role-of-Universities-in-Inclusive-Innovation.pdf
The Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative was started in 2006 working with seaweed
farmers in Zanzibar on innovative farming of the seaweed and value addition. At the
start, the cluster initiative had 20 members located in one village in Zanzibar, and
now it has about 3,000 members located in over 11 villages in Zanzibar and mainland
Tanzania. It is one of the best performing cluster initiatives in Africa. Innovation
through value addition has enabled the production of seaweed value-added products
by seaweed farmers in Tanzania, producing more than 30 such products. The start and
continuous running of the cluster initiative is strengthened by the active involvement
of its Facilitator who is a researcher at a university institute (Institute of Marine Sciences,
University of Dar es Salaam), bringing her expertise both as the Facilitator and
a Researcher to coordinate and ensure strong formation and involvement of the Triple
Helix composition of the cluster initiative. This paper discusses the experience of the
Seaweed Cluster Facilitator as a researcher and facilitator, taking the reader through
the initial training of the researcher, formation of the cluster initiative and triple helix,
and the remarkable outcome of the collaboration between a university and the seaweed
farmers, depicting the Mode 2 Type of knowledge production.