The AfriConEU project strengthened digital innovation ecosystems in Africa and Europe by connecting Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) and empowering them to drive local digital transformation and foster entrepreneurship.
AfriConEU’s Networking Academy and Toolkit are sustainable and replicable models for transcontinental collaborations, demonstrating the power of international cooperation in driving digital innovation and societal progress.
Description
Launched in February 2021, the AfriConEU project was a three-year initiative funded under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. The project strengthened Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) in Africa and Europe through capacity building, networking, and collaboration.
Through its flagship initiative, the AfriConEU Networking Academy, the project delivered a platform for knowledge sharing, capacity building, and fostering partnerships between DIHs on both continents. It established the first trans-continental Networking Academy, enabling DIHs to share knowledge and resources sustainably.
A total of over 2,200 participants, including entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs, were engaged through a variety of activities. These included 20 webinars, 12 local workshops, and 8 masterclasses, covering topics such as bootstrapping, crowdfunding, financing DIHs, and gender lens innovation. Additionally, flagship events such as 4 Bootcamps held across Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana, as well as the International Brokerage Event and Capitalization Event, contributed significantly in catalyzing over 20 collaborative projects between African and European DIHs.
The project also introduced the AfriConEU Toolkit, a comprehensive resource for DIHs to access curated tools, methodologies, and best practices for capacity building and fostering innovation. Designed to be replicable and sustainable, the toolkit equipped DIHs with practical strategies to enhance their operations, better serve their communities, and contribute to the growth of local digital ecosystems. By using this toolkit and attending the project’s activities, entrepreneurs were able to open their own DIHs.
Achievements & learnings
AfriConEU’s reach extended to a community of over 8,000 online users, engaging policymakers, tech innovators, and industry leaders.
AfriConEU made a lasting social and economic impact by empowering hundreds of young people with digital skills, fostering a more digitally literate workforce, and supporting startups in accessing funding and resources for growth. The project also addressed gender disparities through targeted programs that created opportunities for women innovators in the digital space.
Partners/sponsors
- INOVA+ Innovation Services S.A. (INOVA+) – Portugal
- Emerging Communities Africa (ECA) – Nigeria
- Youthmakers Hub (YMH) – Greece
- ASSOCIAÇÃO PORTO BUSINESS SCHOOL (PBS) – Portugal
- OUTBOX (U) LIMITED – Outbox – Uganda
- DPIXEL SRL (dpixel) – Italy
- STIMMULI FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (Stimmuli) – Greece
- ITC – INOVACIJSKO TEHNOLOSKI GROZD MURSKA SOBOTA (ITC) – Slovenia
- Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology – Buni Innovation Hub – Tanzania
- Africa Technology Business Network – ATBN – United Kingdom
- Hapa Foundation – HapaSpace- Ghana