At the Sixth Africa Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum held in Addis Ababa, African leaders and experts stressed the importance of investing in science, technology and innovation to build a prosperous, just and sustainable future in Africa. The event, organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in partnership with the African Union, aims to strengthen the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Ethiopian Minister of Technology and Innovation Belete Molla said innovation in key sectors such as agriculture, clean energy and health is essential to create jobs, improve livelihoods and reduce poverty. He highlighted Ethiopia’s efforts such as its food security roadmap and its digital transformation strategy “Digital Ethiopia 2025” as models to follow.
Antonio Pedro, Deputy Executive Secretary of the ECA, called for increased investment in human capital and research saying technologies like artificial intelligence and genomics can transform the daily lives of Africans by improving service delivery, monitoring living conditions and anticipating crises.
The STI Forum also highlighted the Entrepreneurial Universities Alliance and the Origin Innovation Platform designed to encourage startups and local problem solving, and aim to support jobs and economic growth.
UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences Lidia Arthur Brito said international collaboration is crucial for sustainable development in Africa.
She stressed the importance of investing in research, particularly to empower young people to innovate and address the continent’s environmental challenges.
Javier Pérez, Ambassador of the European Union to the African Union, announced an investment of 279 million euros from the EU to support research and innovation in Africa, in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063.
