1- Kickoff Meeting – Envisioning a Deep Tech Community for Africa
a conversation on the founding of ADTC, with Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Afigbo
As we embark on a profound shift of technological advancements around the globe, Africa is emerging as a key participant in the evolution. The inception meeting of our newly formed group marks an important step towards aligning our collective efforts to bring about significant change. We constitute a group of professionals hailing from various corners of Africa with a shared vision – to shift Africa from being primarily consumers of technology to becoming technology creators and innovators.
What it’s all about?
The purpose of creating this group is to rethink and reimagine the status quo for technology in Africa. Our driving objective is primarily threefold. First is initiating a platform for individuals passionate about this cause to connect. This includes tech enthusiasts, creatives, artists, musicians, literary people, and anyone who shares our dream. The more diverse our community, the wider the spectrum of ideas we can explore.
Second, the extensive cross-pollination of insights, native knowledge, and combined brainstorming will open gates for numerous ideas. The aim is to provide a haven for members to freely discuss their most ambitious notions without fear of judgment or criticism.
Lastly, we hope this community will act as a nursery for ideas—a place where seeds of brilliance can germinate, grow and eventually blossom. We aim to provide an environment that encourages cultivating these ideas beyond the conception stage to something more tangible.
How it works?
To facilitate seamless collaboration and communication, we have organized an online platform leveraging Discord. It will serve as our focal point of conversation and updates. We will be having regular meetings, either quarterly or monthly, to discuss the latest findings, share insightful knowledge, and brainstorm on ways forward.
In the longer run, we hope to organise offline events as well. These local get-togethers could serve as informal discussions and brainstorming sessions, bringing the conversation to the ground and directly involving more members of the community. The eventuality of this would ideally be a full-fledged event, hosting a multitude of minds in the collective pursuit of technological advancement.
Norms of the community
While we are united under the banner of passion for progress, it is crucial to lay down a few ground rules. Firstly, the community is built on the principles of trust and respect. Therefore, all conversations that occur within the community are deemed confidential unless otherwise specified.
Secondly, we encourage disagreements and arguments as they bring forth new perspectives and insights. However, disagreements should only be voiced with a proper understanding of the subject matter and should be posed in a constructive manner.
Lastly, as much as we want to address the issues facing Africa, it’s crucial that our forum remains a place of positivity and solution-oriented discussions. This is the platform to be innovative, ambitious and to explore the bounds of possibility.
Conclusion
Measured optimism leads the way forward for us. The challenges are many, but we own the solutions, as long as we are committed to solving the issues systematically and progressively. We’re passionate about fostering an environment that facilitates progress, and we appeal for everyone’s unconditional commitment.
From sharing present endeavours to escalating ideas into valuable initiatives, our community aspires to represent the pinnacle of Africa’s technological frontier. This is our opportunity to question the existing assumptions, challenge old norms and forge a future that speaks of a new era in African technology.
As we embark on this journey, let us strive to minimise the gap, uplift these ambitions, and take African deep tech from a state of consumption to a phase of production.
Finally, this is not just a gathering of minds. It represents the accumulation of our aspirations, the hopes we have for the future of African technology, and the collective will to make these ideas a reality. We are more than just a group. We are the Africa deep tech community. Let’s imagine together and let’s build together.