European, African innovation hubs join forces for DIGILOGIC project

April 15, 2021: Under the direction of the Digital Hub Logistics, European and African digital innovation hubs have now come together in the DIGILOGIC project, to exchange best practices and learn from each other - in the first pan-European-African network with a focus on intelligent logistics solutions. 

DIGILOGIC is a H2020 funded project that kicked off in January 2021 and will last three years, till the end of 2023.

Mubarak Sumaila, CEO and founder of BezoMoney, described his vision for "Africa's largest community-based digital financial institution". With a digital platform for savers, Sumaila wants to enable social advancement especially for the poorest. Many young entrepreneurs in Africa are interested in supporting disadvantaged people in their home countries. The start-up Complete Farmer has even set itself nothing less than "to rethink agriculture in Africa and make it available to everyone," said CEO Desmond Konney. 

This makes BezoMoney prime examples of the digital transformation in Africa, which are now also being used as part of the DIGILOGICis driven forward. The European Commission has made available a grant of 1.9 million euros for the establishment of a new "network of networks" - the association of a total of five European and African digital innovation hubs. "As different as the prerequisites and framework conditions in Europe and Africa are, both continents face similar challenges when it comes to shaping the digital transformation," stated Thorsten Hlsmann, manager of the Digital Hub Logistics in Dortmund, who coordinates the project. "

 The Digital Hub Logistics has made a name for itself in science and business in recent years with unusual innovative approaches, including the concept of "start-in". In addition, the hub has launched an extremely successful start-up competition that is now attracting more and more international applicants. 

At the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) in Ghana, people look forward to exchanging ideas with innovation experts from Germany. MEST is one of the two African hubs in the DIGILOGIC project. The other is BongoHive, which started working as Zambia's first technology and innovation hub in 2011. 

MEST helps them with a year-long training programme, followed by support and mentoring from the hub network across Africa. All MEST members become part of the Africa-wide tech community and have access to the hub's network. 

With numerous specific activities, DIGILOGIC wants to ensure that people in Europe and Africa are equally connected to the new digital world of work.