Boosting digital services and supporting Ethiopian startups are the key goals of an agreement signed in Addis Ababa by Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini and Ethiopian Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide, acting on behalf of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The agreement, facilitated by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI), provides €4.5 million in funding to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Innovation and Technology over three years (36 months). It focuses on Strengthening Digital Services in Ethiopia through the Creation of an Incubation Center for High-Tech Startups. The initiative aims to support 150 startups by providing necessary resources, mentorship, and assistance to help develop their projects, with the goal of successfully launching 70% of them onto the market. Additionally, the project will directly benefit operators of 100 smart kiosks for digital services, which are expected to create 300 new jobs. During the mission, Bernini held bilateral meetings with Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology, Belete Molla, and Minister of Education, Berhanu Nega. The latter also signed a joint declaration on higher education, reaffirming the crucial role of higher education in driving sustainable development and fostering dialogue. Representing the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI), Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of Ca’ Foscari University, and Antonio Zoccoli, President of the Council of Public Research Institutions, also took part in the mission.