Venue: Speke Resort and Convention Centre Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda
Kampala, Uganda 03 April 2025 – The 7th African Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Forum (ARSTIF) will be convened in Kampala, Uganda, from April 7-8, 2025. The annual Forum is a critical event designed to accelerate Africa's attainment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) through strategic and judicial use of science, technology, and innovation.
Hosted by the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Technology, and organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and its strategic partners, ARSTIF 2025 will focus on "Driving Job Creation and Economic Growth through Sustainable and Inclusive Science, Technology, and Innovation Solutions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063." The 2025 Forum, occurring just five years before the 2030 deadline, underscores the urgent need for innovative, sustainable, and scalable solutions to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the aspirations of the African Union's Agenda 2063.
The Forum will congregate policy makers, industrial and civic leaders and academia for a robust exchange of views and discussions as well as showcase innovative solutions, firms and public services targeting key Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, participants will explore solutions to enhance healthcare for all in Africa (SDG 3), to bridge and achieve gender equality (SDG 5), to stimulate economic growth and job creation (SDG 8) and, technological solutions for marine resource conservation (SDG 14).
Building on previous iterations, ARSTIF 2025 will also provide a platform to map out next steps for the continent in implementing recently adopted strategies and initiatives. These include the Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2034 (STISA 2034), adopted in February 2025, and the Global Digital Compact, adopted in September 2024. Discussions will also advance science diplomacy and partnerships for building an African research area (SDG 17).
The forum will also unveil groundbreaking approaches to transforming STEM education across the continent, and delve into the transformative power of digital solutions and artificial intelligence for infrastructure advancement in key sectors like transport.
The Forum will explore policies, technology transfer, and global alliances to accelerate Africa's development, fostering collaboration and strategic talent channeling. Previous Forums have served as platforms for launching transformative initiatives such as the African Alliance of Entrepreneurial Universities in Africa, which aims to seed 1 million startups capable of generating $100 billion in revenues, and the Origin Research and Innovation Hubs, a continental platform for problem-solving, scaling startups, and showcasing African innovations.
The key outcomes of the African STI Forum will inform the 11th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development and the 10th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum).
For more details, please visit the forum page: https://www.uneca.org/eca-events/astif2025
About ARSTI FORUM
The African Science, Technology, and Innovation Forum was established pursuant to resolution 961 (LI) of May 15, 2018, of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development. In this resolution, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the African Union Commission and other partners, was called upon to organize a multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology, and innovation regularly, as an input into the work of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. The African Science, Technology, and Innovation Forum serves as a regional consultative platform, whose outputs inform the collaborative multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology, and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, established pursuant to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This year the forum is jointly organized by the ECA, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Department of Science and Innovation of South Africa, African Biomedical Engineering Consortium, the African Materials Research Society, the European Union, the UNDP, and the ITU.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org