Catalonia to foster social development in Africa through digital innovation

The Catalan government has signed an agreement with the Smart Africa alliance to promote cooperation in the areas of smart development, the digital economy, human and digital rights, and the empowerment of women.

It is the first time that the Catalan government, through its digital policy and exterior departments, has undertaken an agreement to incorporate digital technology as a tool in its efforts at development cooperation.

The agreement signed on Tuesday means that Catalonia will cooperate with Africa in developing technological infrastructure and innovative digital solutions to help socioeconomic development and citizen empowerment.

Afriican states, companies and NGOs

The Smart Africa alliance, which is made up of 29 African states and private sector companies, along with different NGOs, aims to turn Africa into a knowledge economy by increasing access to digital tools.

The agreement will see cooperation between Catalonia and Africa through the government's development cooperation agency, the ACCD, by providing innovative digital support to Catalan and African NGOs working in development.

The aim is also to promote opportunities for Catalan companies in the African market, which is seen as having potential for growth, as well as boosting the exchange of knowledge and expertise in such areas of digital innovation as smart drones, IoT, Big Data, and AI.