Digital4Development (D4D) Hub

The establishment of the D4D Hub as a global multi-stakeholder platform marks a turning point in the EU’s international partnerships to support a human-centric digital transformation. The D4D Hub bundles the multitude of digital initiatives by European actors for unparalleled coordinated impact.

To this date, eleven EU Member (Germany, Belgium, France, Estonia, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Finland) have signed a Letter of Intent to cooperate under the D4D Hub towards a single European digital development strategy.

The D4D Hub will form regional branches in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood and include all relevant stakeholders from respective regions.

The D4D Hub is guided by five operating principles:

• Local ownership & win-win partnerships: Facilitate partnerships that provide added value and base cooperation activities on local demand.
• Multi-Stakeholder involvement & expertise: Promote a sustainable digital transformation requires a whole-of society approach (governments and administrations, private sector, civil society, academia).
• Sustainable & green digital transformation: Promote the twin green and digital transition.
• Human-centric approach: Put people at the heart of the digital transformation to ensure the full protection of human rights in the digital age.
• Data security & protection: Promote a comprehensive and consistent response to safeguard the global threat of cyber breaches, misuse of data and breaches of data privacy.

As the first operational regional component, the AU-EU D4D Hub will kick-off activities in Africa from January 2021 onwards. It will serve to provide demand-driven technical support to national stakeholders, disseminate best practices, and host digital policy dialogues between inter-African and African-EU multi-stakeholder partnerships.

EU-AU Data Flagship

Europe and Africa seek to converge their visions of a fair and sovereign data economy based on shared values and policies that assure strong data protection and inclusive economic growth.

The EU, in close partnership with AU Member States, the Smart Africa Alliance, tech companies, financing institutions, civil society organizations, and academia, will ensure that data generated within Africa benefits its citizens, businesses, and public sector.

This partnership will facilitate investments in African data infrastructure and data technologies and services that can contribute to the acceleration of the digital transformation of the continent.

The EU-AU Data Flagship will also create a more enabling data economy in Africa through increasing the number of highly qualified data professionals, with a focus on issues related to data protection, collection, storage, analysis, interpretation, and visualisation of data.

In the fight against global health crises, such as COVID-19, this flagship will support African governments to better collect and use data, while fully respecting the rights to privacy and data protection.

African-European Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB)

To strengthen digital innovation networks in Africa and promote intercontinental dialogue between African and European innovators and policymakers, AEDIB will create important opportunities for employment and pave the way for economic growth and recovery.

Initiated by EU Member States (France, Belgium, and Germany) and the European Commission, the AEDIB will establish a Pan-African network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs). This network will encourage joint ventures between Africa and Europe and provide technical innovation expertise and experimentation for small and mid-size enterprises and start-ups.

AEDIB will connect information and communications technology professionals, investors, academia, incubators, and national, regional and local authorities. By facilitating access to financing for African DIHs and mutual learning and joint solution development, AEDIB will help solve technological and entrepreneurial challenges. A special focus on reaching and including youth and women will be incorporated through the Digital and Entrepreneurial Skills Academy.

The partners in the AEDIB cover more than 80 countries, of which over 30 have already established DIHs (ca. 300 European DIH to date), with the vision to ultimately establish DIHs in every country, facilitating the creation of a single market for digital innovation in Africa and Europe.