According to the definition used by the Atlas of Assessment, Namibia’s research assessment system does not fall within the category of national research assessment systems. To provide a more comprehensive and comparative overview of research assessment practices, we also include countries that, while not classified as having a national research assessment system according to our definition and inclusion criteria, do conduct some form of research assessment at the national level.
Year of Introduction
2014
Census period
Annual (implementation may vary)
Governance agency(s)
National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D)
Summary of the exercise
The National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D) in Namibia was introduced in 2016. The survey applies OECD’s Frascati Manual standards to assess four sectors: Government, Higher Education, Business, and Non-Governmental Organisations.
The initiative was launched by the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), supported by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) and the University of Namibia (UNAM), in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD under the African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (ASTII) initiative, aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Since its introduction, the R&D survey has been conducted periodically, with the first R&D survey, covering the 2013/14 fiscal year, was released in March 2017, with subsequent surveys providing updated data on research expenditures, institutional involvement, and sectoral contributions.
The R&D survey is part of a broader suite of national assessments, including an Innovation Survey and Research Infrastructure Survey, all coordinated by the NCRST. The R&D survey focuses on two key indicators: R&D expenditure and R&D personnel. The Innovation survey, on the other hand, conducted at the enterprise level and based on OECD’s Oslo Manual framework, captures firm-level innovation activities, including types and sources of innovation, related costs, and barriers encountered. Together, these surveys aim to provide critical insights for policymakers, researchers, economists, and industry leaders to assess a country’s innovation capacity, knowledge production, as well as to inform benchmarking and targeted funding decisions.
Last updated: November 2025
Acknowledgement: Information provided by Kelvin Mubiana Katukula, Manager Resources Mobilisation & Grants Management, National Commission on Research, Science and Technology, Namibia.
