In the final days of Italy’s G7 Presidency, the "African Innovation Leadership" project was launched to develop skills and capabilities supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the African continent, aiming to strengthen important collaborations in science, technology, and innovation between Italy and some of the African nations of priority interest to Italy. The program includes the design and delivery of a first-level university master’s degree funded by the Directorate General for Globalization and Global Issues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and led by Politecnico di Milano, POLIMI Graduate School of Management, and the E4Impact Foundation.

The master’s degree targets the innovation ecosystems of six Sub-Saharan African countries (Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Tanzania) to provide strategic skills, thus fostering the development of entrepreneurship among young generations and promoting the proactivity of academic institutions and research and innovation centers in these regions. The master’s is aimed at 40 professionals, including innovation managers and entrepreneurs, and is structured with synchronous lessons, online and in-person activities, experiential activities, and residential periods between Italy and Africa. Enrollment for the master’s program, which begins in late April, is open until March 15, 2025. Upon completion of the 18-month program, participants will be required to develop a high-impact business plan on issues relevant to their countries, in key sectors such as energy, agri-food, manufacturing, and digital. During the master’s, students will be supported by experts and academic tutors and will have the opportunity to undertake in-person training in Milan in November.