The AfriConEu project envisions to essentially strengthen and reinforce the digital innovation ecosystems in Africa by targeting existing Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) and supporting them through capacity building and networking activities. African DIHs are playing a central role in the development of digital entrepreneurship and by raising their capacities to tackle the challenges they face they will be more effective in driving digital innovation forward. To achieve its mission, the AfriConEu project will connect DIHs from Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania with DIHs from Europe with the aim to (i) facilitate knowledge and experience sharing, (ii) drive the development of mutually beneficial partnerships and (iii) support the creation of collective projects for boosting digital economy, empowering youth and fostering innovation and growth. To realize its mission the project will develop, test and validate the “AfriConEu Networking Academy” an innovative mechanism for connecting and sharing best practices, experiences and resources between DIHs in Africa and between DIHs in Africa and EU, in a comprehensive, replicable and self-sustaining way. Through two flagships programmes, the AfriConEu Networking Academy will empower and enable African DIHs to best serve their local industry, boost their start-up ecosystem and empower the youth population with the necessary skills to thrive in a digitalized world.

SOILTRIBES main goal is to pave the way towards inspiring “back to Earth” narratives translated in new formats of knowing, feeling, and behaving in regard to soil, its importance and challenges, and its future, which is deeply connected with ours. Approximately 60-70% of EU soils are unhealthy and the soil degradation costs the EU several tens of billion euros per year. The EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ aims to invert this scenario having designed an ambitious plan where citizens and organisations are key. SOILTRIBES gathers 25 partners, from 11 countries from the different EU regions and designs a methodology that will contribute to the achievement of the ambitious EU plans by fostering soil literacy and connectivity, through the (i) establishment, activation, and empowerment of a multi-actor network (+1000 members), 7 Soil Lab Activators, 7 Stewardship Assemblies; (ii) financial and scale-up support scheme (+1,7M€ FSTP) to nearly 80 projects/ teams recognising existing solutions or the development of new innovative and creative solutions for an enhanced soil literacy; (iii) design of +10 resources, tools and manuals for long-term use by private/public organisations willing to engage with citizens to increase soil literacy; (iv) and program, curation and implementation of nearly 200 events for wide dissemination, communication and pollination of soil topics (workshops, soilathons, soilblitz, creative exhibition, festivals). Framed by an engaging narrative, the “Tribes” will share the same commitment and will embark on a powerful journey of transition and transformation, bolstered by the nexus of science, technology, arts, and society.