Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Summit

Our "Africa-Europe Science and Innovation Summit" is intended to enhance science and innovation cooperation between Africa and Europe and build on key policy and programme initiatives to establish a more enabling environment for science and innovation policy codesign, programme cooperation and capacity building.
AERAP is a response to the European Parliament Written Declaration 45 on Science Capacity Building in Africa. This call was repeated by the Heads of State of the African Union through their Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.407 CXVIII. AERAP encourages policymakers to understand the need for an enabling policy and regulatory environment for science cooperation with Africa and championing leadership in Africa and Europe to demonstrate science's contribution to society and address common glocal challenges.
The June 2021 Summit will draw on a range of processes, including AGENDA 2063, Africa's blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse; the AU Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024); the European Commission; Communication Towards a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa which foresees future cooperation built on five partnerships: green transition, digital transformation, growth and jobs, peace and governance and migration and mobility. All of these areas will rely on science and innovation cooperation.

Over the past decade, Africa's economic achievement created a new vibrancy on the continent, among the world's most rapidly growing economic regions - before the pandemic affecting economies globally. While momentum is widely recognised, longer-term growth depends on sustained investment in an innovative workforce to advance a knowledge economy. Investments in science and technology are attributed to more than half of the gains in gross national product among high-income countries and up to 85% of the gains in per capita income over the past several decades.

African nations are starting from a modest baseline in realising these potentials, representing 15% of the globe's population and 5% of its gross domestic product (GDP), yet just 1.3% of global investment in research and development (R&D). The scientific workforce deficits are acute: the continent possesses 198 researchers per million inhabitants (by comparison: Chile: 428; UK: 4000). Enrollment rates in tertiary education are low, 7.1%, compared to global average of 25.1%. African countries spend well less than the agreed African Union (AU) target to reach R&D investment of 1% of GDP.

However, there are compelling grounds for optimism as public and private sectors ramp up scientific investment in the coming years. Scientific innovation in Africa is on the rise, and momentum is building for new measures to strengthen and sustain the capacity of African universities and research institutions to become an effective force for economic growth and develop local solutions to development challenges. The STISA-2024, Agenda 2063, and the SDGs compacts all point to a commitment for action. Catalysing sustainable and effective change, however, calls for a unified vision of collaboration and development. The prime driver will be African governments investing in their future.

The timing truly is opportune. A new generation of African political leaders is technically trained. New private sector investments are fueling substantive R&D projects in Africa. Moreover, by 2034 the continent will possess the world's largest working-age population (1.1b), larger than that of either India or China – a potent "demographic dividend" and valued asset in an ageing world. An expanding working-age population is associated with strong rates of GDP growth. However, the challenge will be to ensure that its economies create enough skilled jobs for the many millions entering the workforce.

08h40            Declan Kirrane AERAP, Belgium and South Africa
08h45            Takalani Nemaungani AERAP, Belgium and South Africa
08h50            Mahama Ouedraogo African Union Commission, Ethiopia

Creating an enabling environment for Africa-Europe science and innovation cooperation
09h00            Jean Pierre Bourguignon President European Research Council
09h10             Manuel Heitor Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Portugal
09h20            Phil Mjwara Director-General  Department of Science and Innovation, South Africa
09h30            Thomas Dermine Secretary of State for Science Policy, Belgium
09h40            Racey Muchilwa Country President and Head, Novartis Global Health Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa
09h55             Maria Cristina Russo Director for International Cooperation, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, Belgium

Science for our Societies and our Way of Life
10h05             Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, Telecommunication Development International Telecommunication Union, Switzerland
10h15             Lora Borrisova Cabinet Commissioner Urpilainen, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
10h25             Kurt Zatloukal, Medical University Gratz, Austria
10h35             Phil Diamond SKAO Director-General, United Kingdom
10h45             Michael Makanga Director, European Development Countries Clinical Trails Partnership (EDCTP)
10h55             Mirjana Povic Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI)
11h05              Juan Miguel González-Aranda LifeWatch ERIC Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services Research Infrastructure and ERIC Forum, Spain

Common Challenges: Working together with  Common Values for Common Responses
11h15              Sarah Anyang Agbor Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, African Union Commission, Ethiopia
11h20             Carlos Zorrinho MEP, Member of the European Parliament, Belgium
11h25              Gilles Bloch President, INSERM, France
11h35              Intisar Soghayroun Ministry of Higher education and Scientific Research, Sudan
11h45              Val Munsami South African National Space Agenc