Introducing Global Alliance Africa's Advisory Groups
Consisting of key players in local academia, industry and government, the Advisory Groups and Board will assist Global Alliance Africa with the successful implementation of the Country Innovation Action Plans (IAPs).
Developed in partnership with a range of regional stakeholders, the IAP looks to strengthen the town’s innovation ecosystems through clear short, medium, and long-term objectives. Namely, the objective is to build new and stronger UK-African innovation partnerships within the ecosystem by maximising the creation of inclusive market access and increasing collaboration opportunities for local innovation ecosystem partners towards shared goals.
Eldoret, Kenya
In November 2021, the Eldoret Innovation Action Plan (IAP) was launched by the Global Alliance Africa Project team and its Eldoret Innovation Network Advisory Board (EINAB). The IAP is designed to support local and regional innovation in Eldoret and part of its pilot Place-Based Innovation programme in Kenya.
The Global Alliance Africa team has been enthused by the genuine dedication and support from the Eldoret community stakeholders in producing its Eldoret Innovation Action Plan. We are honoured to work with Eldoret to achieve its ambition as a model innovation hub for its neighbouring cities and empower the local ecosystem by supporting local innovation and businesses for Kenya and global opportunities.
– Dr. Nee-Joo Teh, Project Director of Global Alliance Africa
Ekiti State, Nigeria
With the first ever Nigerian Innovation Advisory Group constituted in November 2021, and voting having commenced in May 2022, Global Alliance Africa is pleased to see a group of individuals come together to put Ekiti State’s tech innovation on the map.
Some universities have very developed Science, Technology Engineering (STEM) courses, and they account for the talent pools available in Ekiti. But currently, there isn’t any major technology employer available, to cater for the talent pool, which leads to these innovators going elsewhere to grow their innovative solutions. Our role is to ensure that we provide a platform, with the support of Global Alliance Africa, that is conducive for all entrepreneurs. Therefore, Innovate UK KTN acts as a catalyst and creates awareness of the role that innovation plays in community building.
– Joel Ogunsola, CEO of Emerging Communities.
Gauteng, South Africa
With innovation and entrepreneurship identified as key drivers of economic growth in South Africa’s Gauteng province, Global Alliance Africa inaugurated its first Innovation Advisory Group for the region in early April 2022.
We tend to view innovation as a grand endeavour – one that all too easily becomes out of touch – when instead we need to see how innovation relates to the realities of the people on the ground, and how innovation can be used to solve their everyday challenges. In this regard, I look forward to helping make innovation a hands on exercise in Gauteng.
– Obakeng Pitsoane, Deputy Director for International Relations at the Gauteng Department for Economic Development.
About Global Alliance Africa
Global Alliance Africa is a six-year project funded by UK Aid through Innovate UK (GCRF) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
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Related programme
Global Alliance Africa
This Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa 6-year (2019-2025) project funded by UK International Development aims to build new and stronger UK-African partnerships to maximise the creation of inclusive market access, funding and investment opportunities through innovation knowledge transfer between the UK, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.