- 17th of June 2026 – Bologna, Africa’s AI Builders Go Global: Seven Partnerships Signed with European Industry Leaders
- 29th of May 2026 – Cyber4Africa Launched: Strengthening Cybersecurity Capabilities for AI Startups
- 19th of May 2026 – ITA at GITEX Kenya 2026 – AI Everything
- 12th of March 2026 – From Turin, the AI Hub Ignites Africa-Europe AI Collaboration and Matchmaking
- 4th of March 2026 – Shaping AI Future Across Africa and Europe – Torino, 12th of March 2026
- 9th of February 2026 – Italy, Kenya and UNDP open forum on Artificial Intelligence in Nairobi
- 9th of February 2026 – AI Forum in Nairobi
- 8th of February 2026 – Techplomacy Newsletter January 2026
- 7th of February 2026 – Nairobi forum e non solo. Così l’Africa ripensa l’AI, di Ferruccio Michelin (formiche.net)
- 6th of February 2026 – Ripensare il futuro dell’intelligenza artificiale in Africa
- 5th of February 2026 – How Africa can re-imagine its artificial intelligence future, by Vincenzo del Monaco, Philip Thigo and Keyzom Ngodup Massaly (The Standard)
The AI Hub for Sustainable Development is a G7-endorsed initiative co-led by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) aligned with the Italy-Africa Mattei Plan.
Co-creating with Africa’s AI ecosystem
Africa’s story is one of momentum; the continent holds many of the critical minerals that power global AI infrastructure and is home to the world’s youngest population. This offers immense opportunities for innovation and development across the continent.
Beyond transferring technology or providing training on existing tools, the AI Hub is strengthening the essential foundations of AI development; data, compute, talent, trust, and financing, to enable African innovators to create solutions that serve both local development priorities and global markets.
Five pillars where the AI Hub unlocks resources for today and builds foundations for tomorrow:
DATE GREEN COMPUTE TALENT TRUST FINANCING
Together, the AI Hub’s partners are shaping the architecture of global AI participation: deciding where compute will power humanity’s progress, which models will set the standards for generations, which regulations will unlock innovation, and where the world’s talent will converge to build our shared future.
- Compute Accelerator Programme – Designed to connect supply with demand readiness through integrated acceleration support, driving the efficient and effective use of compute to enable international growth and scalability.
- AI Infrastructure Builder Programme – A platform where Africa’s AI infrastructure builders are connected to an integrated network of governments, private sector, and financing partners to shape partnerships needed between Africa, the G7, and the EU.
- Cyber4Africa – Building cyber-resilience within Africa’s AI startup ecosystem through security assessments, targeted training, and expert advisory. Hybrid virtual and in-person delivery at the Nairobi Cisco facility.
- AI Hub Platform – The digital gateway that defines how the world engages with Africa to advance cooperation and co-development.
Impact numbers
- 1000+ Innovators Engaged
- 1.5M GPU Hours Deployed
- USD 3M+ Compute Cells
- 25 Partnership Re-imagined
- 18 Countries
As Enrico Mattei, the inspiration for the Italy-Africa Mattei Plan, redefined international partnerships in the 1950s, Italy is once again driving an ecosystem of equal partnerships through the AI Hub. The AI Hub is aligned with the African Union’s AI Strategy and is anchored by 18 partner countries in Africa (Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire，Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania,Tunisia and Zambia), catalyzing transformation across six key sectors–energy, agriculture, health, water, education & training, and infrastructure.
“The AI Hub for Sustainable Development is part of the Mattei Plan, a priority of the Italian Government’s foreign policy. With this instrument we want to contribute to the achievement of development objectives, leveraging the private sector and market-driven projects.”
— Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Government of Italy
Italy and Kenya: Partnering for Sustainable AI Innovation
Through its collaboration with UNDP, MIMIT, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI), the AI Hub works closely with Kenyan institutions, innovators, and startups to:
- Build AI-enabled infrastructure supporting national development priorities;
- Strengthen skills and talent ecosystems for youth and entrepreneurs;
- Support responsible AI adoption in sectors such as agriculture, health, and climate resilience.
Together, Italy and Kenya are shaping a new model of equal, innovation-driven cooperation, where technology empowers people and supports sustainable growth.
Kenyan institutions, startups, researchers, and innovators can engage with the AI Hub through:
- Participating in flagship programmes such as the Compute Accelerator or Infrastructure Builder;
- Contributing to policy dialogues and AI ecosystem development activities;
- Partnering on pilot projects that leverage AI for sustainable development in key sectors.
Kenya’s top finalist of the AI Hub’s AI Art for Industries open call, Stephen Ndiema, shares his vision for the future of industrial growth in Kenya powered by AI.
For more information, contact the AI Hub team at: aihubfordevelopment@undp.org
Co-led by:
