ENRICH in Africa - A Multi-sided Platform Business Model for supporting the EU-African Innovation Community.

Project Information

EiA

Grant agreement ID: 101004709

DOI

10.3030/101004709

Project closed

EC signature date 3 November 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 30 June 2024

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Europe In A Changing World - Inclusive, Innovative And Reflective Societies

Total cost

€ 3 586 505,00

EU contribution

€ 3 586 505,00

Coordinated by

STEINBEIS 2I GMBH
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EiA (ENRICH in Africa - A Multi-sided Platform Business Model for supporting the EU-African Innovation Community.)

Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2024-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on enhancing the innovation ecosystem in Africa and strengthening ties between Africa and Europe. The EC, AU, and various European and African organisations have actively launched numerous initiatives. In this context, challenges have been identified for both continents. The African ecosystem tends to work in silos with limited resources, community reach, and access to core infrastructure compared to Europe. Conversely, the European landscape lacks individualised support for a diverse ecosystem and suffers from a lack of standardised practices.
ENRICH in Africa (EiA) has addressed these challenges by building the capacity of innovation players through various programs targeting both regions, facilitating transfer and internationalisation of technologies and know-how. Thus, EiA has promoted sustainable economic growth, with a focus on also addressing the gender gap in entrepreneurship. Through their activities, consortium partners have connected the European and African ecosystems, giving visibility to European organisations and initiatives in Africa.
EiA’s main aim has been to foster EU-Africa cooperation to the mutual benefit of both regions. To achieve this, the project has defined and attained specific objectives:
- The EiA Center has been set up as a separate legal entity to provide a business support network beyond project end, fostering a community of AU and EU innovation players, enhancing innovation capacity, and raising visibility of entrepreneurs to leverage further local market support.
- A network of incubators and accelerators across the EU and Africa, called ‘Champions’, has been established, and provided with capacity upgrading, community, mentoring, and twinning activities, to strengthen cooperation.
- To support innovators on their growth journey, the EiA Champions network has delivered soft-landing-, internationalisation and local market exploration services.
- Collaborations with existing networks and initiatives have been established to exploit untapped synergies.
- A standard quality assurance system for Champions has been developed.
- Services to stimulate co-creation and knowledge transfer across the ecosystem have been provided.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The core network of EiA Champions has been established and expanded, supported by the development of an application process and outreach campaigns. The EiA Center, based in Cape Town, has been founded as a sustainable, commercially oriented business, ensuring the continuation of the network and services piloted during the project. Staff members have been hired, and a governance structure put in place to oversee operations.
Research on the innovation landscape in Africa has been conducted, resulting in the report ‘Investing for Innovation in Africa,’ which provides an overview of the African ecosystem, including policy structures, investments, and startup landscapes. It was made available via several distribution platforms.
Concerning support to innovators, a unified methodology to implement advisory services was developed, with the yearly KPI of 50 advisories met or exceeded each year. Innovators were identified, connected, and activated in their local regions, with the EiA Center staff briefed to continue onboarding new innovators. Quality soft-landing services, incubation, and acceleration support were successfully implemented, with an impact measurement framework developed to evaluate and assure quality.
For incubators and accelerators, capacity building materials were provided and a learning journey developed, including bootcamp sessions and the virtual academy. Through the twinning programme, EU and African incubators and accelerators were paired to promote collaboration and peer-to-peer learning. Additionally, a mentoring programme offered further support to Champions. Network members had the opportunity to meet during three Champions Gatherings organised in the frame of the EiA Congress events.
To promote the project and the Center, a dissemination, communication, and outreach plan was drafted, updated, and followed throughout the project. A branding kit and promotional materials were developed, incl. a project brochure, flyers, a roll-up, and newsletter templates. Over 20 newsletters were sent out internally within the EiA network and externally. Social media accounts were set up and updated to inform about project activities and engage with other initiatives. Two videos were created: an inspirational video and an explainer video highlighting the EiA Center platform's functionalities.
Each year, the EiA Annual Congress was organised: in Cape Town in 2021, following the AfricArena Grand Summit; in Nairobi in 2022, following the AU-EU Innovation Agenda Stakeholder Event; and in Brussels in 2023, marking the handover to the EiA Center. Additionally, partners represented EiA at numerous ecosystem events, incl. the AU-EU Innovation Festival.
Online presence was established through the project page (https://enrich-in-africa-project.eu/) and the EiA Center website (https://www.enrichinafrica.com/) which serves as a digital hub for the EiA network, including the Champions application process, a digital marketplace, and other features to engage the community. The EiA Community on EuroQuity was also set up, with over 500 members by project end.
5 Open Innovation Challenges aligned with the AU-EU Innovation Agenda and sponsored by United.b EDF, Sanofi, Sothema and L’Oréal were implemented, attracting a total of 1372 participants. The final pitching sessions were held at the AU-EU Innovation Festival in Cape Town.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Key project legacy is the EiA Center – a commercially operating entity lasting beyond project end, built on a multi-sided business model and adding value for a range of customers, incl. accelerators & incubators, innovators and policymakers. Through its growing network and ongoing services, it continues to strengthen cooperation between AU & EU innovation players and fosters exchange and knowledge transfer. As a legal entity resulting from an EU project, the Center also enhances visibility and prestige of European research and innovation internationally.
EiA has supported and will continue to support African and European innovators on their growth journey, providing a gateway to new markets and promoting economic growth. A remarkable success story can be told for one of the laureates of the Bees soft-landing programme powered by EiA: the African start-up Salubata won $100,000 in the YouthADAPT competition jointly run by the African Development Bank and the Global Center on Adaptation in the frame of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26).
A key element of EiA has been upgrading capacity of European and African incubators and accelerators, building a strong network to promote knowledge sharing and best practice exchange. By extending the network beyond project end, the cross-continental community will grow, benefiting both ecosystems. With the Center platform a one-of-a-kind hub has been developed, serving as a one-stop-shop for EU-Africa innovation cooperation.
Communications and outreach activities carried out during the project have established a strong visibility foundation for the Center. The project garnered a substantial social media following, with over 3,000 LinkedIn followers. This strong online presence will support the ongoing marketing of the Center's services and contribute to its long-term business success.

eia-centre-logo.png

eia-project-logo.png