Nairobi-based iHub Research has released what it calls the first ever comparative study on technology or innovation hubs across Africa.

The study, which was released yesterday, has researched seven tech hubs across the continent: iHub-Kenya; KLab-Rwanda; MEST-Ghana; BongoHive-Zambia; KINU-Tanzania; Activspaces-Cameroon; and Hive Colab-Uganda.

And the main objectives of the research have been to try to understand unique factors that make up the various operating models of the hubs.

The study has further attempted to also understand the hubs’ entrepreneurs and their role in promoting socioeconomic development. ”

The report has gone on to say that there are striking similarities and differences in the seven hubs under study.

The most common similarity being that most of the Hubs operate in open spaces with the community member being the key drivers in the Hubs’ activities.

Unique membership systems that differentiate members working in the spaces is also another similarity observed across the hubs, with the main differences observed in their management structure, guiding principles and their sustainability models.

According to the study, challenges that these hubs commonly face include slow internet connectivity, limited staff capacity, inadequate funding, space constraints, inadequate skills and even poor exposure.

Hilda Moraa, senior ICT hubs researcher at iHub Research, has explained to ITWeb Africa that there are other key challenges.

“One of the main challenges that most of the hubs are facing across the continent is in their sustainability models,” Moraa said.

“Most of them receive short term funding, and when these funds are depleted, the hubs find themselves in financial problems,” Moraa added.

In order to overcome some of these challenges, Moraa said that partnerships that bring together ideas from different nations could go a long way in assisting the hubs.

To read the full report, be sure to click on this link: (http://research.ihub.co.ke/uploads/2013/may/1367840837__923.pdf)