The African Union Innovation Lab: A Hub for Youth-Centric Innovation and Strategic Partnerships

The African Union Innovation Lab was launched in August 2024 as a co-creative space designed to drive youth-focused, implementable policies. It facilitates multistakeholder input, fosters strategic collaboration, and harnesses Africa’s vibrant innovation ecosystem while consolidating existing innovations.

The lab is created to fuel the success of the 1 Million Next Level Initiative (1mNL), an initiative that aspires to reach 300 million young people with opportunities for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Engagement, as well as Health and Wellbeing. As one of the core principles of 1mNL is Africa-centric innovation and solutions for youth empowerment and development, the AU Innovation Lab pursues innovative approaches to co-design impactful and implementable policies and initiatives that work for young people and advance Agenda 2063.

Core Services of the AU Innovation Lab

The AU Innovation Lab offers services in three areas. First, it facilitates innovation management throughout its entire lifecycle—from ideation to deployment—leveraging methodologies like design thinking to drive ideation deep dives, design and iteration, incubation, piloting, and deployment. Second, it fosters strong ecosystem connections by enabling multistakeholder linkages, sourcing relevant support, and forging partnerships across the continent. Third, the lab offers tools and resources for strengthening innovation capacities for AU Departments and member states.

Breaking Silos and Harnessing AI

The lab is blazing the trail in overcoming public sector silo thinking by assembling cross-departmental solution teams, supported by innovation management methodologies such as service design, design thinking, and open innovation. Moreover, by engaging in Data & AI policy dialogues (in collaboration with the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs Data Innovation Lab), the AU Innovation Lab demonstrates the power of harnessing multistakeholder collaboration. At the same time, the lab is championing the use of AI in the multilateral context of the African Union.

Driving Strategic Partnerships

The AU Innovation Lab is anchored in the Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate of the African Union Commission. Its comprehensive and portfolio-wide approach also creates opportunities for collaborative work across GIZ African Union portfolio projects, in line with Destination 2028. Diverse initiatives—from migration to trade and health—can leverage the lab’s space and methodologies to enhance their interventions, driving a promising momentum of collaboration between the African Union Commission and GIZ.

The AU Innovation Lab was established with support from the AU-German DataCipation Programme, funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).