Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Access to Finance: Implementing the AU-EU Innovation Agenda



29 May 2024. Virtual Workshop Series of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda

This series is comprising of seven virtual workshops that will focus on topics related to the priority areas of the AU-EU cooperation in Research and Innovation: Public Health, Green Transition, Innovation & Technology and Capacities for Science and will offer working and interactive sessions, including AU-EU Deep Tech training modules.

The full programme is available here. # 4 pp.

Recording forthcoming

Session 1: Opening Session 

  • Tidiane Ouattara  By African Union Commission and European Commission 
  • It’s happening!” – Updates on the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, following adoption of July 2023 By Lukovi Seke, AUDA -NEPAD & Dr Vincenzo Lorusso, European Commission 
  • Introduction to the Global Gateway Initiative By Eleonora Rella, European Commission 

Session 2: Experience sharing” 

  • Taking stock on the AU-EU Innovation Agenda By Idrissi Ganouni Najat, ARIR & Valentine Nnamani, OneGrid Energies 
  • Testimonials from the AU-EU Innovation Festival sharing insides on the experiences with the AU-EU Innovation Agenda 

3.1: Access to risk finance for all 

  • Building financial literacy for researchers and innovators By Houda Ghozzi, Open Startup & Prof. Lukas Menkhoff, Humboldt University 
    • Introduction to financial language and terminology 
    • Best practice for financial management 

Session 3.2: Navigating public and private R&I funding schemes

Session 3.2.1: Access to finance in Africa
  • A critical reflection on barriers and challenges
    (organised by ? Tomi Davies, TechnoVision, Lagos Angel
    Network (LAN) and African Business Angel Network (ABAN)

Session 3.2.2: Private & philanthropic funding
  • Driving successful and responsible Innovation in Europe and Africa: opportunities, fundings and trainings from local networks and ecosystems By Luyanda Matlala, Development Bank of Southern Africa & Krisztina Dax, European Business and Innovation Centre Network (Project Manager of BIC Africa) 
Session 3.2.3: Public funding
  • funding opportunities for the African and European R&I ecosystems By Carl Elmstam, European Commission 
Session 3.2.4: African Union and European Union Member States initiatives 
  • By Prof. Mokthar Sellami, National Council for Scientific Research and Technologies Algeria & Maria Maia, Foundation for Science and Technology Portugal 

Session 3.3: Developing critical financial skills to anticipate future problems and opportunities 

  • By Björn-Sören Gigler, GIZ & N.N., ENRICH in Africa Overview of how to access new opportunities to secure a long-term financing for your business 

Session 4: Closing Remarks and Next Steps 

  • By African Union Commission and European Commission

Session 5: “Virtual Coffee” – Matchmaking and Networking 

Session 5.1: Limited funding opportunities & lack of venture capital 
Session 5.2: Technology transfer & bridging the gap between universities and industries 
  • With Nolene Singh, Stellenbosch University - Technology Transfer Office

Session 5.3 Access to finance for AI start-ups (02:00 PM - 03:00 PM CEST)

« Dashboard » of initiatives contributing to the implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda


  • The “Dashboard of initiatives” of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda represents a “living inventory” of projects, programmes, partnerships and scholarships officially recognised as contributing to the implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda.
  • The aim of the Dashboard is to align as many initiatives as possible underneath the respective actions of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda to whose implementation they are contributing. This is expected to foster collaborations, leverage complementarities and catalyse potential synergies among initiatives with affinities in scope (thematically and geographically), aligned under the same action. This is hoped to generate a catalyst momentum for future initiatives and collaborations on the implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda.
 

ENRICH in Africa

  • Enrich in Africa (EiA) brings together key stakeholders from the European and African innovation ecosystem to upgrade the capacity of incubators and accelerators and benefit entrepreneurs in both regions. It supports knowledge exchange, provides co-creation opportunities, and enables the delivery of quality services for European and African innovators. Join this community to learn more about what ENRICH in Africa has to offer, expand your network, and find partners and investors!

AU-EU Innovation Interface

  • The crossroads portal for the AU-EU Innovation Agenda. 
  • The AU-EU Innovation Interface will bring information on initiatives, resources and opportunities addressed to innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and investors, generated as part of the implementation of the joint AU-EU Innovation Agenda. By doing so, the Interface aims to connect Research and Innovator Stakeholders and ecosystems at the interface between Africa and Europe and therefore bring value to the impact of the Innovation Agenda.


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