This special issue of ATDF journal is dedicated to the role of technology as a faciliator of sustainable
change and a tool of economic empowerment. The papers look at the general impact of innovation on industrial development in Africa and portray user-friendly new technologies that enhance the value of traditional practices, decrease transaction costs for small businesses and facilitate more social, cultural and economic exchange. Economic theories as well as policy strategies that aim at promoting a global green economy often fail to recognize the potential of technology as a tool of empowerment because it is not associated with the crucial development and environment challenges of the 21th century. The contributors believe that these global sustainability challenges must be addressed effectively by applying more progressive policy instruments that enhance the welfare effects of technological change.