From 22 to 24 October 2025, SPI, represented by Sara Medina, Ana Fernandes, and Tiara Amadea, took part in a series of events held in Brussels, Belgium, for the Africa–Europe Innovation Platform (AEIP) project, funded by Horizon Europe.
The events brought together the AEIP consortium, including Technopolis Group, Arctik, African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), AfriLabs, Association of African Universities (AAU), Digital Africa, Enrich in Africa, EBN, IQIB, SARIMA, The Youth Café, and VC4A. As part of the consortium, SPI is responsible for the development of the platform concept development, building on feedback gathered from stakeholders.
On 22 October, the AEIP hosted its Stakeholder Event, “Bridging Continents through Innovation: Africa-Europe Innovation Dialogues”. The event marked the official launch of the AEIP platform, an “network of networks” concept-platform designed to connect policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and civil society actors across both continents. The event featured panel discussions, thematic sessions, and presentations highlighting opportunities for cooperation in innovation, technology transfer, and sustainable growth. Sara Medina was among the participants delivering the closing remarks at this event.
The following day, 23 October, SPI attended the Innovation Fair, themed “Enabling that Step Forward”. The fair showcased innovative solutions from start-ups, SMEs, research organisations. It served as a major gathering for stakeholders implementing the AU-EU Innovation Agenda (2023–2033) and the Union for the Mediterranean’s R&I Roadmaps, featuring pitch sessions, exhibitions, and networking opportunities.
The series concluded on 24 October with the consortium meeting, where partners discussed ongoing activities, upcoming priorities for AEIP.
