Menu

The African Development Bank (AfDB) announced last month that it has launched a new initiative, the Africa-Asia (A-A) Platform, dedicated to promoting knowledge transfer between Africa and Asia.

The platform, which is supported by the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant – Japan’s trust fund within the AfDB – comprises components such as the establishment of an Africa-Asia knowledge partnership; development of knowledge dialogue supporting initiatives in both private and public sectors in Africa; and strengthening of individual and institutional research capacity through the promotion of inter-university networking and research.

The A-A Platform will ensure a reciprocal exchange of technology and innovation between the two continents, according to AfDB.

AfDB President, Ould Tah, said the new initiative represents the next frontier of the bank’s collaboration with Japan and that the success of this pilot project will serve as crucial proof of the viability and impact of linking Africa and Asia through innovation partnerships.

This new initiative complements the existing AfDB innovation projects, such as the Pan African University Phase 2 and the ENNOVA project, an AI-powered innovation and entrepreneurship platform that provides access to market studies, capacity-building, financial opportunities and tools for prototyping and incubation.