Innovation
Turning African ideas, research and technologies into practical solutions that improve lives and industries.
Partner with CIE Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship — Africa
Building Africa's innovation and enterprise ecosystem.
CIE Africa connects ideas, people, institutions and opportunities to create enterprises, jobs and inclusive economic growth across the continent.
- Innovation
- Entrepreneurship
- Employment
- Economic Development
Build
Transform
One continent. Many ecosystems.
A shared future built through innovation.
Ideas become solutions. Solutions become enterprises. Enterprises create opportunity.01
About CIE Africa
We are building the conditions for African ideas and enterprises to thrive.
CIE Africa is a pan-African innovation and entrepreneurship institution dedicated to expanding opportunity through enterprise creation, talent development and ecosystem building.
We bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, communities, businesses, universities, investors, development organisations and governments around a practical ambition: to make innovation a powerful engine for employment, economic empowerment and sustainable development across Africa.
Discover how our ecosystem worksOur development priorities
Four outcomes guide everything we build.
Our work is designed around productive outcomes—not innovation for its own sake.
Enterprise
Helping founders and institutions build sustainable ventures capable of creating value at scale.
Employment
Connecting skills, enterprise demand and productive opportunities so more Africans can participate in the future of work.
Economic development
Building the partnerships, platforms and places required for inclusive, innovation-led growth.
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Our ecosystem
From ideas to opportunity—through one connected ecosystem.
CIE Africa connects the institutions, programmes, communities and markets required to move innovation from possibility to measurable development.
Innovation engine
CIE Africa
Discovers possibilities, convenes partners and develops high-impact ideas, ventures and programmes.
Activators
Platforms & programmes
Convert ideas and human potential into skills, enterprises, solutions and productive work.
Model communities
Technopolis Africa
Provides the physical and digital environments where innovation ecosystems can concentrate and grow.
Destination markets
Africa & the world
Connects African solutions, enterprises and talent to continental and international opportunity.
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Platforms and programmes
Practical vehicles for building Africa's innovation economy.
Each initiative addresses a specific gap while contributing to the wider CIE Africa ecosystem.
Venture building01
Co-Build for Africa
A collaborative platform through which innovators, experts, institutions and partners co-create solutions and enterprises for Africa.
Explore initiativeTalent development02
Skill2Work Africa
Employer-driven preparation that equips people with practical skills and pathways into real work opportunities.
Explore initiativeInnovation communities03
Technopolis Africa
A network of model innovation communities designed to concentrate talent, enterprise, infrastructure and opportunity.
Explore initiativeEnterprise acceleration04
InnovationX
A venture-development platform for discovering promising ideas and helping teams move from concept to scalable enterprise.
Explore initiativeEconomic participation05
I-FEEDING
An integrated framework for translating innovation and entrepreneurship into employment, inclusion and development outcomes.
Explore initiativeOpportunity discovery06
ThriveArena
A discovery environment connecting talent, ideas, challenges and opportunities across the wider innovation ecosystem.
Explore initiative04
Chapters and bridges
Rooted in Africa. Connected to the world.
CIE's chapter network creates practical bridges between African innovation ecosystems and global knowledge, technology, markets, institutions and investment.
Build a CIE chapterWest AfricaCIE NigeriaNational innovation and development programmes
East AsiaCIE South KoreaKorea–Africa innovation and enterprise bridge
North AmericaCIE USAInvestment, technology and market connections
EuropeCIE Europe & UKResearch, enterprise and institutional partnerships
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Who we work with
Transformation requires collaboration.
We partner with institutions that share our commitment to innovation-led opportunity and sustainable development.
Governments
Build innovation-led development programmes, institutions and enabling environments.
Universities & research institutions
Translate knowledge, research and talent into solutions, enterprises and employment.
Businesses & investors
Discover ventures, co-build solutions and participate in Africa's growth opportunities.
Development partners
Design and deliver measurable programmes for inclusive economic transformation.
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Ideas and insights
Thinking for Africa's innovation future.
Explore all insights01
Ecosystem thinking
Building Africa's innovation society
Why ideas flourish when talent, institutions, capital, infrastructure and markets are connected deliberately.
Read perspective02
Future of work
From skills to productive work
Moving beyond training alone to employer demand, execution experience and sustainable opportunity pathways.
Read perspective03
Innovation places
Technopolis as development infrastructure
How purpose-built innovation communities can anchor regional enterprise and economic transformation.
Read perspectiveBuild with CIE Africa
Let's create the conditions for Africa to thrive.
Partner with us to develop programmes, ventures, innovation communities and opportunity pathways with continental impact.
Start a partnership conversation