Adrian Smith and colleagues explore grassroots innovations, their potential for development and challenges facing practitioners.

SciDev.Net reporters across the developing world describe exciting initiatives aimed at supporting innovation in local communities and remote areas.

As commercial synthetic biology production gathers speed, there are growing calls for greater regulation, reports Yojana Sharma.

Interest is growing in tools and innovations that can ease the workload imposed on women farm workers, report M Sreelata and Naomi Antony.

The state of Lagos has set up an advisory council to guide it towards becoming an innovation hub for West Africa. Emeka Johnkingsley reports.

Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan of Jordan talks to SciDev.Net about hopes for science in the Middle East, science diplomacy and the role of women scientists.

Philippe Mawoko, the first head of the African science observatory currently under construction in Equatorial Guinea, speaks to SciDev.Net about the new institution.

Can recent policies and new programmes tackle Mexico's serious shortage of homegrown science and technology? Cecilia Rosen finds out.

Munyaradzi Makoni explains how an economic crisis and a brain drain have created problems for Zimbabwe's science minister, Heneri Dzinotyiweyi.

Harvard globalisation professor Calestous Juma talks to SciDev.Net about how to get Africa's wealth of innovation making an impact.

With a bit of imagination, technologies can be made cheap enough for the poor, but investors are needed, finds Kafil Yamin.

Uganda's president wants to use new-found oil money to fund science and cut aid. But is he striking out too soon, asks Linda Nordling?

Gill Samuels of the Global Forum for Health Research tells SciDev.Net why health innovation must include health systems research.

Can Brazil use its booming economy and abundant natural resources to become a life sciences juggernaut, asks Gene Russo.

The executive director of the Gates Foundation tells SciDev.Net why he is throwing conventional research proposals into the bin.

Following 40 years of persecution and governmental indifference, science and scientists are back on the Argentinian agenda.

Emerging economies have shown how knowledge can be harnessed to fuel long-term development, writes Calestous Juma.

Science must take the lead role in economic development, says Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.

Big pharma drug companies are striking deals with Asian drug researchers to secure the future of the drug industry.

Leading geneticist Samir Brahmachari explains why India should kickstart a new open source approach to drug discovery for diseases like TB.