About

The AfricaInLead program is focused on boosting African prosperity through the embracement of the Next Production Revolution (NPR) sharing comprehensive understanding of Innovation dynamics with the aim at educating next generation leaders towards new thinking over sustainable solutions.

The general objective of the project is to promote Africa embracement of the NPR while enforcing the EU‐AU cooperation on the matter and achieving the mutual benefits and socio‐economic innovation that may come when coping this approach with Sustainable Development Goals to promote an equitable and long-lasting prosperity in Africa.

Priority target countries are Tunisia, Niger, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and Mozambique.

The project is sponsored by the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (AICS).

Project overview Project postcard Project leaflet

The project will foster the creation of:

1. A qualified community of AFRICAN INNOVATION BROKERS (AIBs) as the seed for the next generation of African Leaders, equipped with the right and verified capacity and competences for boosting Africa leapfrogging, so to favour the embracement of NPR and the diffusion of its benefits.

2. A platform for innovation, the AFRICAN INNOVATION CRADLE as a digital tool to enable the AIBs to replicate and expand their pilot experience toward a larger number of local innovation networks.

AILs 1° GENERATION

• In-presence training and exposure | 1: September 26th- October 26th
• In-presence training and exposure | 2: Spring 2019 (indicative period)
• Project work | Online Workgroup: October 2018 - September 2019
• Country Days: Spring 2019 (indicative period)
• Online training (MOOCs): November 2018 – September 2019 (indicative period)

AILs 2° GENERATION

• Invitation and Online Kick-off:  February 2019
• Online training (MOOCs): February 2019 – September 2019 
• Business Idea Challenge:  February 2019 - Summer 2019 (indicative period)
• Country Days: June 2019 (indicative period)

Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino are two of the leading Italian technical universities working at both national and International levels and providing services in the field of education, research and technological transfer.

They offer innovative programmes in the field of architecture, design and engineering.

An International Advisory Board with representatives from institutions, international organizations, private sector and academy supports the project enhancing the results.

Stefano Bologna, Senior Advisor to the DG United Nation Industrial Development Organisation

Federico Bonaglia, Deputy Director OECD Development Centre (DEV)

Chiiheb Bouden, Former Minister Higher Education of Tunisia

Raffaela Cagliano, Deputy Head Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, PoliMI

Paolo Carnevale, Executive Director Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)

Ken Chelule, Deputy Director Deputy Director for Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute

Louis Edozien, Ministry of Power, Housing and Work of Nigeria

Domenico Fanizza, Executive Director of ADB-African Development Bank

Getachewu Mekuria, Innovation and Technology Ministry of Ethiopia

Giuseppe Mistretta, Head Sub-Saharan Africa Countries, DGMO Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Linus Mofor, Senior Officer African Climate Policy Centre, UN Economic Commission for Africa

Alfred Nicayenzi, Chairman African Century Capital Group

Damilola Ogunbiyi, Nigeria Rural Electrification Agency

Tony Okpanachi, Nigerian Development Bank

Jorge Penicela, Ministry of Science and Technology Mozambique

Luca Petrarulo, Energy and Economic Growth Programme (EEG) Oxford Policy Management, UK

Cristina Rulli, Department of Environmental Engineering, PoliMI

Andrea Sianesi, Dean MIP Politecnico di Milano - Graduate School of Business

Alberto Tiraferri, Director Clean Water Centre, PoliTO

Kilometrorosso (www.kilometrorosso.com)

Consorzio Intellimech (www.intellimech.it)

AFIL (www.afil.it)

POINT Polo Tecnologico Provincia di Bergamo (www.pointbergamo.com)

PoliHub (www.polihub.it)

Mantero Seta Spa (www.mantero.com)

FCA (www.fcagroup.com)

Prima Industrie (www.primaindustrie.com)

Renishaw (www.renishaw.com)