The IDEA D4D Hub Project (https://D4DHub.eu)  launches the first innovation days in Mozambique as part of a series of events that will take place in Burkina Faso, Uganda, and Morocco. The innovations days are designed to bring together players from private and public sectors, institutional organizations, civil society organizations and academia, to collectively build the solutions to the challenges of the digital transformation process in each of the four countries.

Over 50 participants from the Mozambique digital ecosystem gathered in Maputo to discuss the challenges, share best-practices, co-create solutions to advance digital transformation in the country.

The IDEA Project aims at empowering trans-continental digital ecosystem collaboration. In addition, it aims to strengthen civil society organizations and academia in Africa to participate in inclusive digital transformation through the innovation days as well as capacity building and synergy creation.

Representing the government of Mozambique, Mr. Constantino Sotomane, National Director of Information Systems, Studies and Projects at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education stated: “The Government of Mozambique always considered information and communication technologies as catalysts for socio-economic development for every individual in the country.”

Mrs. Paula Vasquez-Horyaans, Head of Cooperation at the European delegation commented at the opening ceremony: “This type of initiative represents the type of collaboration that the European Union would like to establish with the youth globally, but also in Mozambique.”

Speaking on the launch of the innovation days, the IDEA project coordinator Mrs. Lucrezia Biteete declared that “The innovation days are a tool to create impact and collaboration locally and accelerate the dialogue about digital transformation in Mozambique. We are extremely pleased to start with Mozambique and looking forward to expanding to the other countries.”

The IDEA project objectives are focusing on supporting and strengthening the role of ICT/digitalisation stakeholders (civil society and academia), to engage and contribute actively to multistakeholder dialogues for human centered digital transformation. Another objective is to support the development of joint digital innovations as a response to societal challenges hindering an inclusive digital society.