In the iconic Port of Antwerp house designed by the famous Iranian architect Zaha Hadid took place a seminar about the future strategy towards Africa to be developed by the region of Flanders and attended by over 100 representatives of the federal and regional administrations, various universities, many companies and various NGO’s, active in Africa. It was a true example of the quadruple helix. It showed clearly a growing interest in building partnerships with Africa expressed by businesses, research institutes and the civil society.
EAR-AER was represented by board member Louis Delcart, who was able to renew or lay first contacts with several organisations. Various speakers insisted upon looking for common points between the region and African around foreign policy, trade, security and economy. They also insisted on joint efforts in innovation, sustainability and corporate social responsibilities. The conclusion was that Flanders had an unclear offer and limited visibility towards Africa, but that its interaction with Africa is vibrant already although the actors are present in divided order.
