HUBiquitous participated in the 7th EU-Africa Business Forum

 

HUBiquitous participated in the 7th EU-Africa Business Forum (EABF) from the 14th to the 18th of February 2022, welcoming forum attendees in our virtual booth at the digital trade fair and holding a panel discussion on digital innovation bridging European and African ecosystems.

 

Every three years, the European Union (EU), the African Union Commission (AUC), and African and EU business organizations co-organize the EABF. It is a major public-private conversation event between the EU and Africa at the continental level, with the goal of expanding the potential for long-term economic collaboration. The 7th EABF mainly took place online and included high-level panels, workshops, and conferences throughout the week, with a limited on-site presence in Brussels for speakers and moderators only.

 

The online format gave us the opportunity to more effectively welcome participants from both continents, to provide participants with more in-depth information about the HUBiquitous H2020 project, and hold one-on-one meetings.

 

On the final day of the EABF, HUBiquitous hosted a workshop to highlight how digital innovation can enhance digital entrepreneurship and serve as a link between the European and African ecosystems. In the form of a panel discussion moderated by Jan Bormans, CEO of our partner European Startup Network, we discussed and exchanged real-life experiences. Four speakers intervened: Carmen Serna, Head of EU projects at Insomnia DIH, who focused on digital innovation hubs in Europe; Moataz Helmy, Board Chairman at AfriLabs, who talked about digital innovation hubs in Africa; Agata Hidalgo, European Affairs Coordinator at France Digitale, who spoke about the French startup ecosystem and its links to Africa; and Abdur Rahim Biswas, Technical Project Lead of Hubiquitous, focusing on how HUBiquitous acts as a bridge between the European and African ecosystems and as a catalyser of collaboration.

The panel’s main objective was to increase mutual understanding of practical approaches to promote African (local) innovation systems, as well as improved insights into the European and African startup ecosystems.

It was a great experience to be a part of this year’s EABF! You can replay the webinar here.

If you don’t want to miss out on our future events, join the Hubiquitous community here.