TECHxplore – Besuch aus Afrika

21.10.2024 Daniela Musial-Lemberg News

Africa has become a hotspot for entrepreneurship and innovation, with enormous potential to establish itself as a global player. As part of our Tech4Transistion project, an African delegation visited Baden-Württemberg and the KIT in early October 2024.

From tech start-ups to social enterprises, Africa is home to a wealth of innovative business ideas that not only strengthen local communities but are also gaining recognition on the global stage.

Entrepreneurship, innovation and digitalisation – these were the buzzwords under which an African delegation visited Baden-Württemberg and the KIT at the beginning of October 2024. TECHexplore – a module of the Tech4Transition project – enabled six stakeholders from the innovation and business ecosystems in Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal and Rwanda to engage directly with their colleagues in Germany. The aim of the trip was to evaluate synergies and opportunities for cooperation within the framework of TECH4Transition and beyond.

The highlight was the 4th Economic Summit Africa in Stuttgart, organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg and the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK), where guests were able to exchange ideas with leading representatives from business and politics.

Another highlight was the workshop organised by the KIT Founders Forge on the topic ‘Co-creation of a sustainable future: How can we strengthen co-creation and collaboration between African and German innovation ecosystems to jointly solve global challenges of the next 50 years?’ There, the participants discussed our image of Africa, the continent’s innovative strength, the similarities of the start-up scene and the challenges and opportunities of future cooperation.

The specific focus was on ways of networking between relevant actors and stakeholders. The participants used a problem tree to work out the challenges of this cooperation. This showed both structural challenges on its surface, such as a lack of digitalisation, bureaucracy or restrictions on movement, for example due to visa requirements. However, it also highlighted deep-rooted problems such as intercultural misunderstandings, disinterest or feelings of superiority.

On this basis, the participants were able to develop a kind of map with creative ideas for the future. It became clear that the ways of cultural, financial, structural and entrepreneurial cooperation are diverse and that, in addition to more seed investments and joint ventures on the African continent, a European Erasmus programme for Africa would also be useful.

The workshop as a whole emphasised the need to strengthen the ecosystem in Africa. Jude Adejuwon, for example, from the largest innovation hub in Nigeria (CC Creation Hub Africa), stressed: ‘We have to be able to research and enable innovations for our continent at our universities.’ At the same time, the workshop also highlighted the urgency of exchange in order to enable encounters on equal terms and thus peer-to-peer learning.

In this sense, the delegation trip also coincided with the goals of the Tech4Transition project. And over the course of the rest of the week, it also provided a valuable platform for intercultural dialogue and cooperation between Africa and Germany. A follow-up in Kenya is planned for the end of November 2024.