Development and digitalisation in Africa: Italian cooperation policies and synergies with EU’s plans

The project aims to assess and strengthen cooperation between Europe and Africa in the field of digital governance within a global context marked by interconnected crises that have exposed the vulnerability of multilateral cooperation and negatively impacted the political and socio-economic stability of the African continent. Specifically, the project explores Italy’s role, with a particular focus on the Mattei Plan, in building an equitable and sustainable partnership between Europe and Africa based on digitalisation and shared objectives. Digital technologies represent a strategic opportunity to improve access to information, markets, services and finance while promoting innovation, participation and transparency in public governance.

Through a detailed analysis of the EU-Africa digital partnership, the project focuses on identifying mutual expectations and disagreements, as well as evaluating best practices and lessons learned to develop effective policy recommendations. Special attention is given to the role of Italian cooperation policies in fostering the development of digital infrastructures and technological skills in Africa, as well as synergies with European initiatives such as Team Europe and the Global Gateway. Additionally, the project identifies new ways to enhance coordination between European Union programmes and the Mattei Plan to maximise the impact of digital transformation initiatives in Africa. The conclusions and recommendations from the analysis will serve as a basis for future cooperation strategies between Europe and Africa, promoting sustainable development that responds to the local needs of the African continent

Funding: Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation