Global: a new digital era

Using innovations – in a way that is fair and for the good of people

The hub is an open platform designed to facilitate sharing of ideas and information and to bring together partners from around the world. European tech firms such as SAP, Vodafone and Nokia are already participating in dialogue formats and transfer of knowledge. Companies from Africa and Asia will also soon be able to join in, form innovative partnerships with other stakeholders, and work together to develop new ideas. As well as policy dialogues, the hub is also used to initiate specific projects that help to narrow the digital divide within and between countries and to advance the digital transformation in a fair and secure manner. A number of digital initiatives and new projects have already been created as a result of the D4D Hub, including the African-European Digital Innovation Bridge, a European initiative that is building a network of regionally connected hubs across Africa. These are designed to promote technological innovations and joint ventures between the two continents – in particular for medium-sized enterprises and start-ups. And finally, a political initiative called EU-AU Data Flagship has been launched with the dual aim of establishing rules for fair data usage and of creating a shared data space between Europe and Africa. All of the projects and initiatives have a common goal, namely to use innovations and ensure that the rapid push towards digitalisation happens in a way that is fair and people-focused. The D4D Hub’s activities in Africa are just the beginning in this respect. There are plans to expand the hub to Latin America in 2021 – followed by Central Asia and South-East Asia.