7 - 10 March 2023. This Forum informed and engaged with policymakers to ensure that the role and contribution of science, enabled through digital technologies, is reflected in European Union and its Member States’ policies concerning Africa.
The Africa-Europe Science Collaboration and Innovation Platform (AERAP) is a stakeholder forum convened to define priorities for science and innovation cooperation between Africa and Europe. It provides a framework for stakeholders from industry and academia to define research action plans across the wide range of technological areas that will be essential for addressing common challenges and future. This framework will enable major research and technological advances that will drive socioeconomic development and competitiveness in both Africa and Europe.
The meeting addressed a range of themes, including Biodiversity Health, Medicine, Life Sciences, Geoscience, ICT, Digital Transformation, the Green Agenda, Women and Girls in science, Astronomy, reskilling and upskilling and Agri-food systems.
Extracts of the programme:
08/03 Microbial sciences for a sustainable future
Microbial science is a vital field that has important applications in many areas of science, medicine, agriculture, and industry, and continues to have a significant impact on our daily lives. Microbial science is important for a number of reasons:- Understanding the role of microbes in the environment: Microbes play a vital role in the earth's ecosystem, breaking down organic matter and returning vital nutrients to the soil. By studying microbes, we can better understand their role in the ecosystem and how they impact the environment.
- Developing new medicines: Microbes are the source of many of our most important antibiotics and other medicines, and ongoing research in microbial science is crucial for developing new treatments for diseases.
- Improving food production and safety: Microbes play a role in the production of fermented foods like yoghurt, cheese, and bread. Understanding the microbial processes involved in food production can help improve the quality, taste, and safety of these products.
- Bioremediation: Certain microbes can be used to clean up toxic waste, such as oil spills and groundwater contaminated with heavy metals. Microbial bioremediation offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for addressing environmental pollution.
- Advancing industrial processes: Microbes are used in a number of industrial processes, including the production of biofuels, chemicals, and bioplastics. Studying microbes can lead to the development of new, more efficient industrial processes.
Speakers:
- Dr. Stefano Bertuzzi is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).
Resources: Microbes and Climate Change: a Research Prospectus for the Future
Soil: Science’s Last Frontier Scientists conducted 2004-2009 systematic study of the last great unexplored territory of the globe: the few centimeters of soil beneath our feet. With a $26,000,000 grant, researchers in seven countries studied during five years the tiny, unknown plants and animals that make the rest of the world work. The nations in the UNEP-backed program were Ivory Coast, Uganda, Kenya, Indonesia, India, Brazil, and Mexico. It was coordinated by the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute, based in Nairobi. Jonathan Anderson is professor of ecology at the University of Exeter. He was consultant to the UNEPGEFTSBF soil biodiversity programme - Juan Miguel González-Aranda CTO, LifeWatch ERIC
- Eugene Lottering National Research Foundation South Africa
- Zeinab Osman Director General, National Center for Research Sudan
08/03 Science for Climate Resilient food systems in Africa
The state of Africa’s agriculture and its vulnerability to climate risk is an ongoing matter of importance, not only for the continent but the global world. Climate change-related hazards such as drought, shifting patterns of pests and disease incidence, and the reduction of areas suitable for agricultural production threaten agricultural and food systems and affect the food security status of millions of people on the African continent. These challenges impact peace and stability on the continent and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.Agricultural Research and Innovation play a pivotal role in developing climate-resilient food systems and enabling Africa to reduce the agricultural productivity gap and deliver on the SDGs.
The session will showcase some of the key scientific innovations emerging from Agricultural Research organizations in Africa and also in collaboration with global North partners. In addition, the session will identify the key priorities to accelerate the science-led climate-resilient food systems in Africa.
Petronella Chaminuka
Head of the Economic Analysis Unit, Agricultural Research Council of South Africa
Intisar Soghayroun
Professor, Khartounm
Professor of Archaeology, University of Khartoum 1991-2022, Sudan. Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research from 2019 to October 2021. Read More →
Jose Manuel Avila
Environmental Scientist, Agroecology Technical Officer, LifeWatch ERIC
He is an Environmental Scientist who specialized in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology and has a PhD in Environment and Society. Read More →
LifeWatch ERIC is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium providing e-Science research facilities to scientists investigating biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services in order to support society in addressing key planetary challenges.
LifeWatch ERIC was established as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium by the European Commission in 2017.
Click here to read about Research Infrastructures and here to learn more about ERICs.
An interactive map of all Research Infrastructures, including ERICs, is available at this link. See all the other members of the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC Landscape) here.
09/03 Key Developments in EU support for science collaboration with Africa
- Overview of EU-SA Science Technology and Innovation Cooperation - Mr Daan du Toit, Deputy Director General International Cooperation and Resources, South African Department of Science and Innovation + Ms Maria Cristina Russo, Director Global Approach and International Cooperation in R&I, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG R&I), European Commission
- Horizon Framework Programme, AU/EU Innovation Agenda and Africa Initiative Call - Dr Vincenzo Lorusso, Policy Officer, Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation with Africa and bilateral cooperation with ASEAN countries, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG R&I), European Commission
- Support mechanisms to enable participation of SA researchers in Horizon Europe - Ms Tugela Matubatuba, Director: Strategic Partnerships, South African Department of Science and Innovation
- Spanish Presidency priorities in the area of science and technology - Paco Colemar, former director at Jive, now coordinator for the Spanish presidency in the Ministry for science and innovation in Madrid
09/03 Science for Food Systems Transformation in a Conflict Area
The session discussed how we can jointly develop a Centre of multi-disciplinary training and research in Food Systems Transformation in a Fragile Zone. This Centre would be a regional hub for data, science, innovation and lifelong learning dedicated to Sahelian challenges and opportunities. A virtual focal point where researchers, policymakers, private sector, CSOs and development practitioners can easily obtain and co-create relevant information on transformation pathways.Speakers will be from the Sahel research community, Sahel Coalition, Club du Sahel, EC, Wageningen University & Research and other.
- Vincenzo Lorusso Policy Officer, DG Research, European Commission
- Triona McCormack Director of Research; Member of the Taskforce on Rural Africa and the oversight committee for Ireland's strategy on Africa, UCD
- Han van Dijk professor, Wageningen University
- Mohamed Abdallahi Ould BABAH EBBE Directeur Général, l'Institut du Sahel (INSAH) / CILLS
- Amadou OUMAROU African Development Bank
- Bart de Steenhuijsen Piters Wageningen Economic Research on food system transformations
- Sarah LAWAN External Relations Advisor, Sahel and West Africa Club SWAC/OECD
09/03 Opportunities for African Researchers in Horizon Europe
- Presenter: Dr. Seán McCarthy www.hyperion.ie
- Opportunities For African Researchers In Horizon Europe (Www.Hyperion.Ie) PDF # 36 p.
09/03 Plant Molecular Pharming in Africa
- Mr Declan Kirrane ISC Intelligence, Moderator
- Dr George Owusu Essegbey Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana, Co-Moderator
- Prof Kurt Zatloukal Medicines4Future (M4F) and Medical University of Graz, Austria
- Ms Belinda Shaw Cape Bio Pharms, Cape Town, South Africa
- Prof Josef Glössl M4F and University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Austria
09/03 Living labs: an emerging area of collaboration between Africa and the EU
Africa is building its own way to a digital society. A new generation of entrepreneurs, policy officers, and social innovators are working on setting up new African digital innovation ecosystems.
The EU can collaborate with this effort, sharing experiences peer-to-peer and learning with African colleagues. One of the areas identified by African Countries for creating more sustainable and collaborative digital societies in innovation ecosystems is to envisage open living labs as a strategy.
A panel debated how to foster future collaborations and support the creation of open innovation ecosystems in Africa while sharing the experiences of existing running projects.
- Martina Desole, ENoLL director - moderator
- Mamadou Ndir, Alboury Ndao, Ndeye Astou Sene, FDSUT Senegal
- Artur Serra, i2cat Foundation, Barcelona
- Samia Chelbi, DigiArtLiving Lab, Tunisia
- Karim Sy, Jokkolabs network
HIGHLIGHT
- Dans le cadre de ce projet, des espaces physiques et virtuels sont mis en place afin de permettre la construction d’une communauté autour d’un living lab. et de favoriser la cocréation ainsi que l’expérimentation de nouveaux produits ou services.
- Ce dispositif permettra également de favoriser l’innovation ouverte, partager les réseaux et impliquer les utilisateurs dès le début de la conception.
- La phase pilote (financée par ENABEL, Belgique) s’étale sur trois (03) ans correspondant à la phase de maturation d’un living lab (cf.Livre Blanc du Living lab) et fait focus sur le secteur primaire (agriculture, pêche et élevage) de même que santé/Environnement.
- Pour le périmètre d’intervention, le projet va être déployé dans sa phase expérimentale dans les régions de Saint Louis, Ziguinchor et Diourbel.
- L’objectif principal de ce projet est de favoriser l’inclusion sociale et territoriale des populations dans l’innovation portée par les TIC.
- A travers ce projet, le FDSUT veut également créer une communauté qui s’engage à la mise en place et à l’appropriation de ce nouveau concept. Par ailleurs, l’objectif est d’impacter de manière considérable les bénéficiaires directs et indirects.
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