As part of Italy’s expanding partnership with Africa under the Mattei Plan, Hon. Fausta Bergamotto, the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, has concluded a strategic visit to Kenya, underscoring the country’s central role in a groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative for sustainable development.
The visit highlighted the upcoming launch of the Artificial Intelligence Hub for Sustainable Development, a joint initiative co-designed by the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MiMIT) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) during Italy’s 2024 G7 Presidency. This AI Hub aims to strengthen Africa’s fast-growing AI ecosystem through enhanced computing infrastructure, data sovereignty, capacity building, and support for local startups and SMEs.
During her visit, Hon. Bergamotto presided over two high-level public events. The first, a Compute Dialogue, brought together leading players in advanced and green computing to share innovations and infrastructure strategies crucial for Africa’s AI future. The second, held in Karen and hosted by the E4Impact Foundation, showcased the role of Italian-funded accelerators in nurturing Kenyan startups and building AI-driven business solutions.
These meetings reflect the broader mission of the AI Hub—to foster inclusive innovation by enabling African governments, researchers, entrepreneurs, and the private sector to co-develop AI tools that respond to local challenges in energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, and digital infrastructure.
Although Africa’s AI ecosystem is expanding rapidly, major hurdles remain. Only 5 percent of African innovators have access to adequate AI computing systems, and over 80 perce of the continent’s data is stored offshore—limiting local innovation and undermining data sovereignty.
To address these challenges, the Rome-based AI Hub will coordinate investments and technical support from G7 partners, especially Italy and Canada, in collaboration with continental institutions such as the African Union and African Development Bank. Over the next three years, the AI Hub will implement co-designed programs with a focus on locally relevant data sets, robust computing infrastructure, skilled talent development, and regulatory alignment.
The AI initiative forms a central pillar of the Mattei Plan for Africa, Italy’s flagship strategy for renewing its engagement with the continent. Launched at the Italy-Africa Summit in January 2024, the Plan aims to foster peer-to-peer partnerships rooted in mutual respect and shared priorities.
Initially focusing on 14 countries—including Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Morocco—the Mattei Plan concentrates on six key sectors: energy, water, health, education and vocational training, agriculture, and infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on digital infrastructure and green technology.
Through an inclusive consultative approach, the Mattei Plan prioritizes local needs and national development agendas. The AI Hub is expected to become a strategic mechanism through which this vision is actualized, by equipping African innovators and institutions with the tools to co-shape the future of AI.
With Rome set to inaugurate the AI Hub by the end of the month, and Kenya identified as a priority partner, the collaboration between Italy, UNDP, and African stakeholders marks a bold step towards a more equitable digital transformation. As AI reshapes economies and societies, initiatives like this will ensure Africa is not merely a consumer of global technologies—but an active co-creator of solutions tailored for its future.