The Centres of Excellence (CoEs) approach serves as both a business model and a crucial mechanism for strengthening research and innovation, aiming to integrate science more centrally to accelerate industrialization and economic growth. This chapter examines the status and significance of CoEs for research and development in Africa, exploring their contributions, trajectories, and impacts on the continent’s economic growth ambitions. It  reviews ten research networks encompassing over 115 CoEs in Africa. These CoEs were established through collaborations and primarily funded by regional and international efforts. Despite challenges associated with these relatively nascent institutions, evidence suggest that CoEs can stimulate and support research-led innovation in Africa. CoEs vary in their thematic focus, funding levels, operational methods, and impacts. They generally rely on local expertize while significantly leveraging international partnerships. The CoEs have led to enhanced knowledge generation, innovations, and positive changes across various development paradigms, including high level skills, talent concentration, internationalization, networking, resource mobilization, risk and disaster management, and improved responses to COVID-19. Over the past two decades, at least 80,000 master’s and PhD students have been trained, resulting in over 9,500 scientific publications, and universities have increased their engagement with the private sector. However, governance and management issues, including leadership and procurement challenges, as well as weak sustainability, remain significant threats to CoEs. Scaling up and sustaining the CoE approach, with greater local investment, integration, and private sector engagement, will accelerate the impact of research and innovation, driving Africa’s transformation.