We stand at a pivotal juncture in human development. The way we shape artificial intelligence today will determine whether it becomes a driver of shared prosperity or a force that widens the world’s inequalities.
The stakes are clear: AI could inject $15.7 trillion into the global economy by 2030—but without decisive action, less than 10% of that value will reach the Global South, and Africa risks being left behind. Currently, the continent holds under 2% of global data center capacity, and only 5% of African AI innovators have access to the compute power they need.
The AI Hub for Sustainable Development, launched today in Rome, changes that trajectory. It is the first global platform dedicated to accelerating AI-powered industrial growth in Africa—not through charity, but through true partnership. Here, African innovators are not passive recipients of aid; they are co-creators of frontier solutions that will shape industries worldwide.
Backed by Italy’s visionary leadership under the Mattei Plan, and strengthened by private sector collaborators and African innovators across the continent, the AI Hub delivers a new model: development that is by Africa, for Africa—and for the world.
Through this platform, we launch:
The Compute Accelerator Programme – empowering both scale-ready ventures and emerging innovators to access the computational muscle they need.
The AI Infrastructure Builder Programme – supporting entrepreneurs creating the backbone for Africa’s AI sovereignty, from infrastructure to digital platforms built around African priorities.
The Africa Green Compute Coalition – democratizing access to sustainable compute resources and shaping strategic investments through Africa’s first comprehensive compute market assessment.
This is not incremental progress—it is the start of a continental leap. By forging equal partnerships between Africa’s innovators and the world’s leading economies, the AI Hub ensures that Africa not only participates in the AI revolution but leads it.
The time is now. The platform is live. The programmes are open. The research is published. Africa’s innovators—your moment has come to build the solutions that will transform not only Africa’s future but the future of the world.
