Africa and Europe meet in Barakaldo: AEIP at the EBN Congress and SEADE R&I Summit

By Stephan Kreutzer (Group Lead International Cooperation, Technopolis Germany) and Covadonga Rayon (Project Manager, EBN)

During the week of 16 June 2025, the city of Barakaldo, Spain became a centre of innovation as it hosted two key events – EBN Congress and the SEADE R&I Summit. AEIP supported both events, contributing to discussions on shared innovation challenges, including the clean energy transition, digitalisation, and cross-continental cooperation, in line with the AU–EU Innovation Agenda.

The events brought together a broad range of organisations and individuals, reflecting the importance of inclusive, multi-stakeholder approaches to global innovation challenges

EBN Congress 2025: focus on clean energy transition

Held from 18 to 20 June, the EBN Congress 2025 focused on the theme of “Clean energy transition”, offering three days of thought-provoking discussions and practical insights.

Keynote speeches from prominent voices in industry and government addressed the urgent need for clean energy solutions and highlighted the pivotal role of innovation ecosystems in bringing these solutions to markets and people.

Panel discussions tackled critical topics such as green hydrogen, sustainable mobility, renewable energy, and innovative recycling solutions for electric vehicles. Cleantech and deeptech startups took the spotlight during pitch sessions, showcasing groundbreaking solutions in the green energy space.

One of the highlights was the EU|BIC Green Innovation Award, celebrating outstanding startups and incubation programmes that are accelerating the shift to a greener economy.

AEIP maintained a strong presence throughout the event, with its own booth drawing interest from potential collaborators. In addition, new connections were made with key implementing partners, such as Bpifrance (operator of the EuroQuity platform) and WAZIUP (Internet of Things and hardware matchmaking between African and European innovators).

SEADE R&I Summit: sharing approaches to digital and innovation cooperation

Organised by the Horizon Europe- funded SEADE project, the SEADE R&I Summit took place on 18 June and brought together key stakeholders from Africa and Europe to explore synergies and opportunities for digital and innovation cooperation across the two continents. The event offered valuable insights for future AEIP activities, as both initiatives target similar stakeholder communities.

A key highlight was the presentation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda by Rositsa Georgieva from the European Commission, who outlined strategic priorities and joint actions to strengthen innovation-driven development between the African Union and the European Union.

As part of the programme, AEIP consortium member Stephan Kreutzer participated in a panel discussion titled “International Partnership Building between European and African Innovation Ecosystems”, alongside representatives from EBN (running the BIC Africa programme) and Bpifrance. The discussion was moderated by Tendai Posipamire from AEIP partner ENRICH in Africa Centre.

The panelists discussed the importance of building links across innovation ecosystems. AEIP’s contribution focused on its role as a collaborative platform that connects existing networks and initiatives, avoiding duplication and amplifying shared efforts.

The discussion also surfaced key principles for impactful international cooperation:

• Equitable, co-designed partnerships between African and European actors
• Pilot activities (such as thematic  challenges) to uncover obstacles and inform policy
• A needs-based, inclusive approach that responds to local contexts
• A strong focus on knowledge-sharing and mutual learning,

You can watch the full recording here: The SEADE R&I Summit

A thriving community of changemakers

What stood out throughout the events was the depth and diversity of engagement. From regional governments to multinational companies and grassroots innovators, they provided a valuable opportunity to connect with impact-oriented innovation actors not only from Europe and Africa, but also from countries such as Turkey and Canada, emphasising that AEIP’s connecting mission extends beyond continental borders.

“ “It was great to connect with so many impact-driven innovation supporters from around Europe and beyond.” „

The 2025 EBN Congress and SEADE R&I Summit confirmed that Africa–Europe innovation cooperation is already active and growing. As the green and digital transitions accelerate, AEIP will continue working to promote inclusive, sustainable and collaborative innovation across regions.

To learn more about upcoming Africa–Europe innovation events, visit our events webpage or follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.