In the scope of the ICT-58 call, AEDIB|NET has the objective to strengthen a common African European digital innovation ecosystem by supporting local digital innovation and start-up ecosystems in Africa and facilitating the collaboration between European and African DIHs. AEDIB|NET aims to build on the experience of European DIHs, and adapt the approach to the African context in order to facilitate synergies and collaboration potential. This includes developing and strengthening key infrastructure such as a Pan-African network of DIHs, as well as building strategic cooperation mechanisms and facilitating bridging activities on technical capacity building and technology transfer between African and European innovators and start-ups, SMEs, private sector actors, academia, local governments and investors. In addition, AEDIB|NET will foster the development of an enabling environment that is reinforced by conducive local policies. The African consortium partners are the cornerstones of the African digital innovation ecosystem and have the strength of bringing together relevant policymakers (i4policy, SAS), supporting innovators and start-ups in Innovation Hubs (AfriLabs, Digital Africa) and investors (ABAN, VC4A). Their expertise is core to successfully building networks on the continent and beyond. The European consortium partners contribute experience in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and investment, as well as the establishment of and networking between DIHs (FundingBox, Steinbeis, EBN, EBAN, Civitta). Thereby, in the scope of AEDIB|NET, these partners ensure full access to the European innovation ecosystem, DIHs and experience of the efforts made by the EU in the past.

The AEIP builds a network of African and European stakeholders strengthening links between innovation ecosystems in an inclusive and collaborative manner, ensuring equal benefits. The AEIP will stimulate collaboration among stakeholders and institutions implementing other programmes, contributing to mutually beneficial partnerships. The focus will lie on launching new activities (linked to capacity-building, mobility opportunities, knowledge production and transfer, investment readiness and access to finance) based on an assessment of the needs of all target groups, including researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, incubators/accelerators, civil society, women and youth. These will be activated through a combination of virtual outreach and in-person stakeholder meetings as a forum for discussion. Sustainability will be built into the AEIP from the start by making sure that new activities are linked up and designed in such a way that they can be carried forward by AEIP members after the end of the Action. We aim to grow the AEIP further into a network of networks acting as a hub for the implementation of the short-term actions of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, reinforcing existing initiatives rather than duplicating them. The Action has been designed to maximise societal, economic, and scientific impact by centring the Platform at the core as a forum where stakeholders convene for focussed and structured innovation cooperation. With the networks leveraged by the consortium partners and multiplier effect, our outcomes and impacts will be scalable. The AEIP will support the Agenda’s objective to strengthen Research and Innovation cooperation between the African and European Union, maximising the impact of funding and reinforcing interconnected innovation ecosystems, thus contributing to sustainable and inclusive development, economic growth and job creation.