Brussels, Belgium · 19 July 2023 — The African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) formally adopted the joint AU-EU Innovation Agenda, a 10-year policy initiative (2023–2033) designed to transform research and innovation cooperation between the two continents into tangible socio-economic impacts — new products, services, businesses, and jobs.
Supported by the EU's Global Gateway initiative, the Agenda will serve as the mainstay of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) cooperation between Africa and Europe for the next decade. The European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation announced the adoption on 20 July 2023, describing it as a framework to "transform and increase the innovative capacities and achievements of European and African researchers and innovators into tangible outputs."
Four Priority Areas
The Agenda is structured around four primary objectives, aligned with the priority areas of AU-EU cooperation in research and innovation established at the first AU-EU R&I Ministerial Meeting in July 2020:
- Public Health — Strengthening health research, pandemic preparedness, and medical innovation
- Green Transition — Supporting climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy
- Innovation and Technology — Fostering technology transfer, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship
- Capacities for Science — Building research infrastructure, skills, and institutional frameworks
Each objective includes short-, medium-, and long-term actions, supplemented by cross-cutting issues that address governance, equity, and knowledge sharing.
Official Statements
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, said:
"The Innovation Agenda will represent the backbone of our cooperation supporting research and innovation actions with Africa. It aims to create tangible positive impact on the ground, such as tools for agricultural use, climate services and food systems transformation. Alongside cutting-edge medicines, biotechnologies and diagnostics."
Prof. Mohamed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation at the African Union Commission, added:
"Research and Innovation endeavours are to be translated into actual products, services, businesses and jobs thereby developing a long-term sustainable AU-EU cooperation model."
Implementation Mechanisms
The Agenda is accompanied by a Roadmap that provides an overview of governance and coordination, as well as an inventory of implementing initiatives. The Roadmap will be updated quarterly to include additional programmes as they emerge.
Several initiatives will contribute to implementation:
- Horizon Europe — The EU's flagship research and innovation framework programme, which includes dedicated Africa calls
- Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package — The EU's infrastructure and connectivity strategy for Africa
- AU-EU Innovation Interface — A digital platform launched alongside the Agenda, hosted on EURAXESS, providing information on initiatives and opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors
- AU-EU Deep Tech Transformation Training Scheme — A training programme for innovators and entrepreneurs, expected to begin before the end of 2023
A Multi-Year Development Process
The Agenda's adoption was the culmination of an extensive consultation process. The first AU-EU Research and Innovation Ministerial Meeting in July 2020 established the four priority areas and mandated the development of a joint innovation agenda. A working document was published in February 2022, followed by an online public consultation and numerous outreach events throughout 2022.
A major stakeholder event was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2022, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and civil society representatives from both continents. The final version of the Agenda was prepared by incorporating the feedback and input received during this consultation phase.
The Africa-Europe Innovation Platform
Central to the Agenda's implementation is the Africa-Europe Innovation Platform (AEIP), which functions as a "network of networks" connecting policymakers, researchers, startups, and investors across both continents. The platform is designed to facilitate knowledge exchange, match innovators with funding opportunities, and track the progress of joint initiatives through a dashboard of projects and programmes.
The AU-EU Innovation Interface, launched on the same day as the Agenda's adoption, serves as the digital hub for this platform. It provides access to information on funding calls, training programmes, partnership opportunities, and success stories — making the implementation of the Agenda visible and accessible to stakeholders.
Monitoring and Review
AU and EU Ministers of Research and Innovation committed to meeting in 2024 to review progress towards implementation. The biannual workshop series, which began in November 2023, serves to build a community of practice and track the Agenda's implementation on an ongoing basis.
The Agenda's 10-year horizon (2023–2033) provides a long-term framework that aligns with both the African Union's STISA-2034 strategy and the EU's multi-annual research and innovation programming cycles. This temporal alignment is designed to ensure that joint initiatives are embedded in domestic policy frameworks rather than existing as standalone projects.
Sources
- European Commission, "New EU-Africa Innovation Agenda to enhance cooperation in science, technology and innovation," 20 July 2023 —
- AU-EU Innovation Agenda final version, 19 July 2023 —
- AU-EU Innovation Interface —
- EU-Africa Cooperation on Research and Innovation —
FIRAT Editorial Board
Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
