Reframing Africa: huge opportunity for business, innovation and impact for Europe-Africa collaboration

For TNO, this reality fundamentally shapes how we work in and with Africa. We argue for a move from donor–recipient thinking toward reciprocal collaboration grounded in shared interests, co-creation, and long-term investment in ecosystems. The purpose is practical: to unlock business opportunities, strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy, and accelerate societal impact in both Africa and Europe. When collaboration is built on reciprocity, the collaboration is more sustainable.

TNO in Africa: innovating in context

TNO has been active in Africa since 2007 and we developed a portfolio of long‑term collaborations across multiple countries and sectors. What distinguishes this work is its strong similarity to how TNO operates in the Netherlands: as an applied research organisation working at the intersection of knowledge, policy, business and society.

Innovation is always developed in context. Technologies, business models and governance structures are co‑created with local partners, building on existing ecosystems rather than replacing them. Equal attention is given to technical feasibility, economic viability, institutional embedding and local ownership.

From pilots to ecosystems

Across Africa, TNO focuses on a limited number of mission‑driven innovation trajectories designed to grow from individual projects into self‑sustaining ecosystems. One example is Flying Food, a program aimed at accelerating the protein transition through the production of crickets for human consumption. In countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, TNO works with farmers, entrepreneurs and regulators to develop an entire value chain, from production and processing to certification and market uptake.

This work is relevant far beyond food security alone. Protein transitions are taking place worldwide, and the pressures faced in many African regions—such as water scarcity, land constraints and climate impacts, make efficient, low‑impact food systems particularly urgent. By developing solutions locally, innovation remains affordable, resilient and economically meaningful for those involved, while also generating knowledge that is relevant internationally.

A similar ecosystem‑oriented approach guides TNO’s work in the health domain. In collaboration with ministries of health, research and technology organizations, universities and international organizations, we co-create and contextualize innovations developed in the Netherlands, such as methods for monitoring early childhood development, are adapted and embedded within African healthcare systems. These solutions are increasingly recognised at international level and are becoming part of global standards, illustrating how innovation flows in multiple directions.

In the built environment, TNO supports the development of low‑cost, low‑carbon housing using locally available materials and construction methods. By validating technologies and designing scaling strategies together with local actors, the focus extends beyond individual buildings to strengthening local construction sectors and knowledge capacity.

Climate and health: using data to build resilience

Another example of how TNO collaborates with African partners on long‑term innovation can be found in its work at the intersection of climate and health in Kenya. Climate change is already having a disproportionate impact across the continent, through rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and increasing air pollution. At the same time, many countries still lack the integrated data and analytical capacity needed to translate these developments into timely health interventions and informed policy decisions.

In Kenya, TNO works with national and local governments, knowledge institutes and societal partners to connect meteorological data, air‑quality measurements and health information. By combining existing datasets with TNO’s modelling expertise, concrete risks become visible, such as heat stress for outdoor workers or the public‑health effects of deteriorating air quality. These insights are translated into practical guidance, including early warning systems, public health advice and input for policy decisions related to working conditions, urban planning and climate adaptation.A defining characteristic of this collaboration is its emphasis on local ownership and capacity building. Rather than introducing an external system, the project strengthens existing data infrastructures and supports local professionals in using and maintaining the models themselves. Data governance remains local, methodologies are jointly validated, and responsibility for long‑term operation is embedded within the Kenyan ecosystem.

At the same time, the learning is reciprocal. The challenges addressed in Kenya—heat stress, air pollution and climate‑related health risks—are becoming increasingly relevant in Europe as well. Insights gained in low‑resource, rapidly changing contexts therefore also inform European approaches to climate adaptation and public health.

Value for all

What connects all these initiatives is a shared view on partnership. For TNO, working in Africa is neither about transferring ready‑made solutions nor about delivering short‑term results. It is about co‑creation, recognizing that innovation is context‑dependent and that knowledge exists on all sides of the partnership. And valorizing knowledge on both continents, Africa and Europe.

Reciprocity plays a central role. Collaboration requires asking what each partner brings to the table, what each partner gains, and how ownership is shared. This also challenges European organisations to critically reflect on their own ways of working. African innovation ecosystems often operate with fewer resources but show high levels of agility, strong links to end‑users and a relationship‑driven approach. These are lessons that extend well beyond Africa and influence how TNO itself continues to develop as an innovation organisation.

Why this matters for Europe and the Netherlands

Africa’s changing role in the world is not a distant development. Europe’s future is increasingly intertwined with African innovation capacity, markets and ecosystems. Strategic autonomy, economic resilience, sustainable growth and system‑level transitions all depend on effective international collaboration.

By working with African partners as equals, TNO contributes to solutions that create impact across borders. These collaborations strengthen innovation systems, support inclusive economic development and open up new perspectives for addressing complex global challenges. Reframing Africa, in this sense, is not merely about perception, but about enabling the partnerships needed for a shared future.