Periodic Reporting for period 2 - AfriConEU (The first Trans-continental Networking Academy for African and European Digital Innovation Hubs)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-08-01 do 2024-01-31
The AfriConEU project aims at strengthening and reinforcing the digital innovation ecosystems in Africa by targeting existing Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) and supporting them through capacity building and networking activities. African DIHs are playing a central role in the development of digital entrepreneurship and by raising their capacities to tackle the challenges they face they will be more effective in driving digital innovation forward. To achieve its mission, the AfriConEU project connects DIHs from Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania with DIHs from Europe with the aim to:
(i) facilitate knowledge and experience sharing,
(ii) drive the development of mutually beneficial partnerships and
(iii) support the creation of collective projects for boosting digital economy, empowering youth and fostering innovation and growth.
To realize its mission the project is developing, testing and validating the “AfriConEU Networking Academy”, an innovative mechanism for connecting and sharing best practices, experiences and resources between DIHs in Africa and between DIHs in Africa and EU, in a comprehensive, replicable and self-sustaining way. Through two flagships programmes, the AfriConEU Networking Academy intends to empower and enable African DIHs to best serve their local industry, boost their start-up ecosystem and empower the youth population with the necessary skills to thrive in a digitalized world.
With the project's conclusion, it is possible to assess from the technical report that all the project's objectives, KPIs and expected impacts were achieved and therefore, the main aim of the project was successfully attained.
(i) facilitate knowledge and experience sharing,
(ii) drive the development of mutually beneficial partnerships and
(iii) support the creation of collective projects for boosting digital economy, empowering youth and fostering innovation and growth.
To realize its mission the project is developing, testing and validating the “AfriConEU Networking Academy”, an innovative mechanism for connecting and sharing best practices, experiences and resources between DIHs in Africa and between DIHs in Africa and EU, in a comprehensive, replicable and self-sustaining way. Through two flagships programmes, the AfriConEU Networking Academy intends to empower and enable African DIHs to best serve their local industry, boost their start-up ecosystem and empower the youth population with the necessary skills to thrive in a digitalized world.
With the project's conclusion, it is possible to assess from the technical report that all the project's objectives, KPIs and expected impacts were achieved and therefore, the main aim of the project was successfully attained.
Throughout the project, specific objectives were meticulously pursued, resulting in notable results across various tasks:
1.Exploration of Digital Innovation Ecosystems:
-- Conducted 60 in-depth interviews and received 298 survey responses.
-- Organized 4 roundtable discussions with 165 participants.
-- Report analysing the local innovation ecosystem in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana and Tanzania [D2.1].
2.Development of Capacity Building flagship programme:
-- Designed 4 sub-programs that were implemented through the following events: 20 webinars, 12 local workshops and 8 masterclasses.
-- Created 1 online repository of capacity building resources and ready to use training material: 1 repository available in project website (Resources webpage);
3.Development of the Trans-continental Partnership flagship programme:
-- Conducted 4 online focus groups with 101 participants to prepare the events of this sub-programme.
-- Organized 1 international design workshop with 23 participants.
-- Designed 4 sub-programs that were implemented through the following events: 4 design-thinking bootcamps, an international brokerage event and a capitalization and celebration event.
4.Delivery of Capacity Building and Partnership Activities:
-- Engaged >3146 stakeholders, >76% from Africa.
-- Attracted 557 participants to webinars, with 62% from Africa.
-- Engaged 378 participants in 8 online masterclasses.
-- Conducted 12 local networking and training workshops with 592 participants.
-- Hosted an international brokerage event with >168 onsite and >200 online participants.
-- Facilitated 33 strategic partnerships during the brokerage event.
-- Engaged 441 participants in 4 design-thinking bootcamps, resulting in 30 joint projects.
-- Attracted 1010 attendees to the final capitalization and celebration event.
-- Involved 1011 stakeholders and final beneficiaries in evaluation activities.
5.Community Engagement and Synergy Creation:
-- Reached 3146 stakeholders through the Online AfriConEU Community.
-- Established 45 synergies with relevant networks and initiatives.
6.Dissemination and Uptake of Project Results:
-- Developed the AfriConEU Deployment Toolkit (https://toolkit.africoneu.eu/).
-- Conducted 4 policy roundtables with 202 participants.
-- Reached >260 policymakers with policy recommendations.
-- Produced 1 Blueprint for transcontinental collaboration.
-- Implemented a comprehensive communication and dissemination strategy.
-- Attracted 2791 unique visits to the AfriConEU website per month.
-- Published 105 YouTube channel videos with 722 views.
-- Distributed 2000 promotional materials.
-- Gained 8738 followers across social media platforms.
-- Sent out 6 newsletters and 9 press releases.
In terms of the exploitation and dissemination of the project's results, the Exploitation and Sustainability plan (D6.15) identifies three Key Exploitable Results (KERs) that derive from the AfriConEU project: the AfriConEU Deployment Toolkit; the AfriConEU Community of Practice; and the AfriConEU Policy Roadmap and the Blueprint for transcontinental collaboration of DIHs. For each one of these KERs, the main target groups that are going to benefit from them are identified, as well as the business model plans and respective exploitation pathways at the consortium and partners’ level.
1.Exploration of Digital Innovation Ecosystems:
-- Conducted 60 in-depth interviews and received 298 survey responses.
-- Organized 4 roundtable discussions with 165 participants.
-- Report analysing the local innovation ecosystem in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana and Tanzania [D2.1].
2.Development of Capacity Building flagship programme:
-- Designed 4 sub-programs that were implemented through the following events: 20 webinars, 12 local workshops and 8 masterclasses.
-- Created 1 online repository of capacity building resources and ready to use training material: 1 repository available in project website (Resources webpage);
3.Development of the Trans-continental Partnership flagship programme:
-- Conducted 4 online focus groups with 101 participants to prepare the events of this sub-programme.
-- Organized 1 international design workshop with 23 participants.
-- Designed 4 sub-programs that were implemented through the following events: 4 design-thinking bootcamps, an international brokerage event and a capitalization and celebration event.
4.Delivery of Capacity Building and Partnership Activities:
-- Engaged >3146 stakeholders, >76% from Africa.
-- Attracted 557 participants to webinars, with 62% from Africa.
-- Engaged 378 participants in 8 online masterclasses.
-- Conducted 12 local networking and training workshops with 592 participants.
-- Hosted an international brokerage event with >168 onsite and >200 online participants.
-- Facilitated 33 strategic partnerships during the brokerage event.
-- Engaged 441 participants in 4 design-thinking bootcamps, resulting in 30 joint projects.
-- Attracted 1010 attendees to the final capitalization and celebration event.
-- Involved 1011 stakeholders and final beneficiaries in evaluation activities.
5.Community Engagement and Synergy Creation:
-- Reached 3146 stakeholders through the Online AfriConEU Community.
-- Established 45 synergies with relevant networks and initiatives.
6.Dissemination and Uptake of Project Results:
-- Developed the AfriConEU Deployment Toolkit (https://toolkit.africoneu.eu/).
-- Conducted 4 policy roundtables with 202 participants.
-- Reached >260 policymakers with policy recommendations.
-- Produced 1 Blueprint for transcontinental collaboration.
-- Implemented a comprehensive communication and dissemination strategy.
-- Attracted 2791 unique visits to the AfriConEU website per month.
-- Published 105 YouTube channel videos with 722 views.
-- Distributed 2000 promotional materials.
-- Gained 8738 followers across social media platforms.
-- Sent out 6 newsletters and 9 press releases.
In terms of the exploitation and dissemination of the project's results, the Exploitation and Sustainability plan (D6.15) identifies three Key Exploitable Results (KERs) that derive from the AfriConEU project: the AfriConEU Deployment Toolkit; the AfriConEU Community of Practice; and the AfriConEU Policy Roadmap and the Blueprint for transcontinental collaboration of DIHs. For each one of these KERs, the main target groups that are going to benefit from them are identified, as well as the business model plans and respective exploitation pathways at the consortium and partners’ level.
AfriConEU provided an unique opportunity for collaboration and development between different African and European stakeholders. Through its different activities, the project contributed to the following impacts:
1. Further development of digital innovation hubs to the support of digitalisation of SMEs and traditional sectors in Africa contributing to a vibrant digital economy and new job opportunities.
2. Strengthening of innovation ecosystems for digital startups at the local level.
3. Support of youth employment programs by facilitating collaboration between European and African DIHs and startups.
4. Enhancement of entrepreneurial and innovation skills of ICT professionals and start-ups in selected African countries.
5. Sustainable uptake of results within the targeted countries, beyond the project completion date.
6. Reinforced international dimension of the ICT and Innovation aspects of Horizon 2020 and contribution to the implementation of the EC digital for development strategy.
7. Reinforcement of strategic partnerships between EU and African Digital Innovation Hubs in areas of mutual interest.
1. Further development of digital innovation hubs to the support of digitalisation of SMEs and traditional sectors in Africa contributing to a vibrant digital economy and new job opportunities.
2. Strengthening of innovation ecosystems for digital startups at the local level.
3. Support of youth employment programs by facilitating collaboration between European and African DIHs and startups.
4. Enhancement of entrepreneurial and innovation skills of ICT professionals and start-ups in selected African countries.
5. Sustainable uptake of results within the targeted countries, beyond the project completion date.
6. Reinforced international dimension of the ICT and Innovation aspects of Horizon 2020 and contribution to the implementation of the EC digital for development strategy.
7. Reinforcement of strategic partnerships between EU and African Digital Innovation Hubs in areas of mutual interest.