ERAfrica is a European Union (EU) project aimed at promoting a unified European approach to collaborating with Africa in the field of science and technology research for innovation and sustainable development.
This is part of the 'AFRICA-EU' partnership JAES.
ERAfrica forms part of the 7th Framework Programme suite of European research initiatives, and boasts as primary objective the creation of a “European Research Area Network” for the African continent.
Funded by the European Commission, ERAfrica unites seven EU countries (France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Finland and Austria), as well as Switzerland and Turkey, with three African partners (South Africa, Kenya and Egypt) in a core consortium built around a mutual recognition of the value of unifying efforts to strengthen intercontinental research collaboration and promotion. In this regard ERAfrica aims to serve as template for interactions between Europe and Africa in the field of science and technology research, and as a model for future cooperative ventures between the two continents.
BELSPO is a consortium partner.
The first call for proposals of the consortium was launched in January 15, 2013 around three themes: Renewable Energies, Interfacing Challenges and New ideas.
The goal of the joint call is to create long-term research collaboration between EU Member States and/or Associated Countries and Africa. Three types of activities were considered for funding: research, innovation and capacity building.
The Belgian participation in the call is funded by several institutions, each one with different eligibility criteria.
LEAP Agri call 2017
LEAP-agri is an initiative aiming to implement the political dialogue between Europe and Africa for the science and innovation cooperation. The first priority of the cooperation is food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA).
LEAP-AGRI is part of H2020: Ch 2/ SFS 41 2016-2017, topic "EU-Africa Research and Innovation partnership on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture".
The partnership will include the organisation of a joint call for R&I projects between European and African partners (19 countries, EC, totale budgetinzet: 27 MEURO). The call (2 staps-proces) covers 3 thematic themes: sustainable intensification, agriculture and food systems for nutrition and expansion and improvement of agricultural markets and trade.
For Belgium, 3 funders participate in the call: BELSPO, FWO, F(N)RS.
Of the selected projects, BELSPO finances the participation in 2 projects:
Brigitte Decadt
Federal, Interfederal and International Coordination
