R&I cooperation with Sub-Saharan Africa (CSA)

ExpectedOutcome:

• Stimulate R&I cooperation between Sub-Saharan Africa and the EU in the field of digital.
• Strengthen strategic partnerships and support digital dialogues with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, in full compliance with the principles of the Global Gateway.
• Support to trade and industrial policy aspects by promoting European technologies in African markets, and vice-versa.
• Contribute to Africa’s economic growth and job creation, and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially through African and R&I.
• Promote EU values for a human-centric digital transformation.
• Support EU’s international priorities, as set out in Europe’s Digital Decade and Global Gateway.
• Build synergies and prepare an enabling environment for research and investment for the EU.

Scope:

• Foster cooperation and prepare ground for joint research and innovation and raise greater awareness of R&I cooperation opportunities between the EU and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Organize networks, conferences, workshops and other actions that support R&I activities and monitor digital-relevant activities in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Collect and analyse information as well conduct surveys and draft reports and position papers on sub-Saharan African countries’ R&I policies, strategies and programmes.
• Link EU and African internet R&I communities, building on the work of existing projects such as the African-European Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB) and the FPI project “Open Internet in Africa”.
• The action should ensure that relevant stakeholders from both the EU and African countries are engaged during the process through regional and international workshops and a set of communication and dissemination actions.