Engage with Africa

Europe’s research policy towards the continent needs to be more tailored, and Africans need a stronger voice in it, says Mariella di Ciommo.

Jean-Claude Juncker, outgoing Commission president, has called Africa Europe’s “twin continent”, this reflects both its growing importance to the EU increasing international competition for influence, with the risk that African countries will prioritise other relationships, particularly with China.

Despite this, Africa has gone largely unmentioned in discussions about EU research and innovation policy, and features in no significant way in the proposal for Horizon Europe, the next Framework programme. This blindspot needs to be remedied, and swiftly.