AfriConEU: Championing Innovation and Collaboration Across Africa and Europe
We are excited to announce our recent strides in driving the digital innovation landscape across Africa and Europe. Through an array of impactful activities, including hybrid workshops, online webinars, enriching masterclasses, and influential policy roundtables, AfriConEU has been instrumental in nurturing collaboration and growth. As the AfriConEU Networking Academy concludes, this press release sheds light on AfriConEU’s key activities over the last 4 months.
The Role of University Hubs and DIH in Technology Transfer: Buni Hub conducted an insightful hybrid workshop on April 20 in Tanzania, delving into successful technology transfer models and emphasizing inventors’ capacity building for market success.
The Market Uptake Process: ECA‘s hybrid workshop in Nigeria on May 26th shared expertise on technology transfer’s market uptake process and highlighted the significance of partner agreements and monitoring mechanisms.
Digital Marketing for Successful Businesses: Outbox hosted a successful hybrid workshop on “Digital Marketing for Successful Businesses” in Uganda, focusing on developing digital marketing strategies for growth and customer engagement.
Business Intelligence and Analytics: On April 3, PBS hosted an online webinar exploring data analytics themes, including advanced models, impactful communication, data visualization, and predictive analytics.
Fast-tracking Technologies to Market: PBS’s online webinar on May 24 aimed to expedite innovation journeys by providing valuable skills and emphasizing the importance of alignment with end-user needs.
Navigating through the Intellectual Property Maze: PBS’sonline webinar on June 5 delved into intellectual property (IP) rights, trademarks, copyrights, designs, and patents.
Digital Innovation Hubs Sustainability: ITC’s online webinar on June 13 focused on achieving sustainability in Digital Innovation Hubs by creating and capturing value.
Digital Marketing in the Age of AI: ATBN’s online webinar on June 21 emphasized the significance of digital marketing in reaching target audiences amidst the evolving landscape of online platforms.
Business Intelligence and Analytics: PBS’s online masterclass on April 12 guided participants in creating and boosting a data ecosystem using data for impactful storytelling.
Ghana Policy Dialogue: Promoting An Enabling Innovation Space: hapaSpace hosted a Ghana Policy
Dialogue on April 24, underscoring collaboration’s role in empowering the innovation landscape.
Uganda Policy Roundtable | Towards a common digital market and a connected startup ecosystem: Outbox’s May 9 policy roundtable gathered insights for evidence-based recommendations, fostering trans-continental collaborations.
Tanzania Policy Roundtable | Promoting and Enabling Innovation Spaces: On May 11, Buni Hub hosted a policy roundtable to create an enabling environment for startups and innovation spaces through well-defined policies.
Nigeria Policy Roundtable | Bridging Policy Gaps for an Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem: On May 18, ECA held the Nigeria Policy Roundtable, highlighting policy gaps impacting the innovation ecosystem, including bans on specific platforms.
Vidcast series “Digital Innovation Talks”: In this episode, experts Anthony William Catt and Peace Odili discuss “Building Africa-focused Communities of Best Practice,”emphasizing the importance of sharing best practices for fostering innovation.
External Events and Participation
Catalysing Local Digital Innovation Ecosystems in Africa:Our online participation on May 2 in the Catalysing Change Week 2023 event facilitated connections and capacity building between African and European DIHs.
5th Erasmus+ International Staff Week: On June 14 in Greece, we highlighted our support for African DIHs, focusing on capacity building, knowledge sharing, and cross-continental collaboration.
8th Science, Technology, Innovation Conference and Exhibition in Dar Es Salaam: Our presence from June 14 to 16th showcased our emphasis on design thinking in innovation and technology.
AU-EU Innovation Festival in Cape Town: On June 15, our booth became a central hub for information, discussions, and networking.
EU-Africa DIHs Collaboration Workshop: Key Insights and Recommendations: On June 16 in South Africa, we provided inputs during the workshop, aiming to strengthen Digital Innovation Ecosystems.
Visiting the EU Delegation in Tanzania: On July 17 in Dar es Salaam, we engaged with the Delegation of the EU to Tanzania, Funguo Tanzania, UNCDF, aND Inclusive Digital Economies.
We’re excited to share that the AfriConEU Bootcamp in Uganda (12-14 July), hosted by Outbox, was a great success. We thank the dedicated teams, mentors, and partners who played a crucial role in making this event remarkable. The bootcamp hosted over 80 enthusiastic participants, 8 facilitators, 5 speakers, and 3 panelists, resulting in exceptional innovation and entrepreneurship showcased by 3 winners. Throughout the event, attendees engaged in ideation, project development, and impactful presentations, fostering collaboration, learning, and networking. The AfriConEU Bootcamp in Uganda celebrated African talent and teamwork, highlighting the power of innovation. On the final day of the bootcamp, #AfriConEU trended as the top hashtag in Uganda!
Consortium Meeting in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
On July 17, our consortium meeting in Dar Es Salaam evaluated the Uganda bootcamp and planned for upcoming activities. It delved into Monitoring and Assessment, discussing the project’s impact.
We’re thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of the AfriConEU Bootcamp in Tanzania (18-20 July), organized by Buni Hub and hosted by Costech. The event brought together over 50 passionate participants, 8 facilitators, 5 inspiring speakers, and 8 collaborative teams, showcasing the innovation and teamwork that drives Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit. The bootcamp’s immersive journey included ideation, project development, and impactful presentations, fostering connections and refining skills for the participants. Notably, the hashtag #AfriConEU trended as the top hashtagthroughout the event, highlighting its widespread impact.
What’s next: Empowering Entrepreneurs – Join Our Design Thinking Bootcamps in Nigeria & Ghana
Mark your calendars for two transformative events in Abuja, Nigeria (12-14 September) and Kumasi, Ghana (19-21 September). ECA and hapaSpace are proud to host immersive 3-day Bootcamps designed to ignite your entrepreneurial journey. Step into our exclusive Design Thinking Bootcamps and unlock a world of possibilities.
Engage – Connect – Innovate: Dive into hands-on activities carefully curated to enhance your entrepreneurial skills. Guided by experienced mentors, you’ll gain practical insights and strategies to drive your projects forward. Network with a dynamic community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for innovation. Collaborate, exchange ideas, and build relationships that extend beyond the Bootcamp. Harness the power of Design Thinking to elevate your project ideas. Through interactive workshops and ideation sessions, you’ll learn to approach challenges creatively and craft innovative solutions.
Our Bootcamps are your gateway to growth, innovation, and meaningful connections. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned innovator, this is your opportunity to refine your skills, expand your horizons, and accelerate your journey towards success. Secure your spot today for FREE by registering for the Bootcamp in Nigeria or Ghana. Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out on this chance to embark on a transformative entrepreneurial adventure.
You can follow the future developments of AfriConEU on its website or simply by subscribing to the Newsletter, and you can also check the deliverables of the project so far on the website. Suppose you are a Digital Innovation Hub, an Entrepreneur, an Investor, an Institution in digital skills, or any other Stakeholder interested in participating at some stage of the project. In that case, you can contact our team at africoneu@inova.business.
