A massive intercultural blending of industrial know-how with Africa geopolitically re-establishes a Europe in turmoil
Europe is looking for new partners for its economic growth and influence. Africa suffers from a structural lack of future prospects for young people, while the continent is a world leader in raw materials and green energy capacities. Facilitated by a short cultural distance between the two continents, the blending of European industrial processes and technologies with African raw materials, with its renewable energies and with its demographic dividend offers opportunities to neighbouring continents. This cross-fertilization will strengthen Africa's participation in hyper-complex international industrial value chains and stimulate its sustainable economic growth. By listening to Africa's educated middle class and relying heavily on the local processing of its raw materials, it is possible to better fight poverty, inequality and illegal migration, to enable a changing Europe to reinvent itself as a relevant partner for Africa and – together with Africa – to regain a geopolitical voice on the global stage.
The starting point of this paper is drawn from the lessons of a Belgian project on circular migration for young African professionals, which highlighted: (1) Europe only knows the Africa of misery, it does not know the "other" Africa full of opportunities, and (2) the modest results of traditional development cooperation over the last thirty years. A new approach is the massive creation of direct partnerships between experienced European industrial SMEs and their well-established African counterparts. Collaboration between these types of entrepreneurs promotes the exchange of skills without significant costs. Concrete actions are proposed in Belgium, Europe and Africa to build a critical mass of collaborations, which is essential for the industrial modernisation of Africa and the revitalisation of European industry.
The unusual collusion of "constituted bodies" in Europe
In Europe, a remarkable collaboration is taking shape between different established groups: employers, NGOs, politicians, civil servants and academia. At first glance, their goals seem divergent, but they collectively defend the status quo of their institutions within the familiar European framework. Scholars often focus on studying the present as well as publishing and solving current challenges. However, little attention is paid to more complex scenarios concerning the well-being of future generations, as they cannot be evidence-based.
Meanwhile, the climate transition and population growth in neighbouring Africa are processes that are not taking a break. Without radical changes, these developments could pose a greater danger to future generations in Europe than the territorial ambitions of a Russian tsar or a self-proclaimed American peace laureate.
Europe's structural challenges
Every year, twenty million young Africans in search of a decent job
Europe is facing enormous challenges, such as the energy transition, public deficits and an ageing population. Above all, its energy-intensive industry is facing structural challenges. The established European institutions remain blind to the almost inevitable decline of energy-intensive industries in regions where affordable green electricity generation capacity is limited. The same applies to the risks of new uninsurable natural disasters such as water bombs, forest fires and tsunamis. The fact that technological solutions such as CO₂ capture and new nuclear energies are financially unaffordable does not seem to reach these 'constituted bodies' either. Moreover, it is crucial that Europe realizes that every year, twenty million young people enter the labour market in Africa, 85% of whom do not find a decent prospect in their own country. All of these represent structural challenges for Europe.
Africa is blessed with a young population, 60% of the world's arable land, the world's largest developing free trade area, the world's second green lung, abundant raw materials – including climate-strategic ones – and the potential to produce 35% of the world's green electricity. An Africa-Europe industrial mix can overcome the challenges and create a prosperous future for both continents. Without this cooperation, Europe risks falling behind in the global economy.
Africa's green energy potential
Africa has 35% of the world's green electricity generation capacity through proven, affordable and insurable technologies, at one-fifth of the cost per gigawatt of 'grey' nuclear electricity. Green hydrogen (GH₂) can be produced there at €2 per kilo. Europe, on the other hand, has only a meagre 1% of this capacity. Investing in Africa in these energy sources not only reduces CO2 emissions, but also provides cheap, reliable and sustainable energy to African industry. This makes Africa an attractive partner for European companies looking for affordable non-fossil energy and a new growing market.
The Role of Africa's Large, Educated and Rights-Conscious Middle Class
Africa's large educated middle class, also in less stable sub-Saharan countries, is convinced that only the local transformation of their raw materials into high value-added and exportable products and services can reduce poverty, forced migration, inequality and lack of good governance.
In collaboration with Africa, it is important to listen to the needs of this middle class, aware of its rights and looking for a decent job. These are the future decision-makers or influencers. They know best the challenges and opportunities of Africa.
Established European entrepreneurs are familiar with the complexity of international industrial value chains. Diplomacy plays a crucial role in building trust and creating a stable environment for investment. The West must, as a top priority, get rid of the old image of development aid and advocate for an advanced industrial partnership, in which both continents achieve balanced gains.
On-site processing of African raw materials
Thanks to the massive transfer of European experience in industrial value chains to Africa, Europe is ensuring that raw materials extracted in Africa are also processed locally into finished and semi-finished products for export; a productive agri-food and manufacturing economy that stimulates the emergence of a wide range of support services. Together, the productive economy and associated services create millions of jobs in the formal economy every year.
Opportunities for young Africans
Every year, twenty million young people enter the African labour market, but barely three million find a job. By transferring advanced industrial practical experience to Africa, Europe can ensure that they acquire the skills needed to work in new competitive industries that are emerging through international cooperation between culturally close continents. This provides them with a perspective for the future and contributes to Africa's inclusive and sustainable economic development.
The TYRANNY OF THE PRESENT keeps Europe and Africa blind to new hopeful trends
Both in Europe and in Africa, authorities and entrepreneurs are striving to achieve short-term results (re-election, return on investment, protection of the Antwerp chemical cluster, etc.). They don't think about the well-being of their grandchildren. "Africa, the growth market of the future" is considered politically by most to be a distant future. "Short-term solutions crowd out long-term action"
It is remarkable that a number of Africa experts - even diplomats - with years of knowledge of the field (NGOs, export officials, volunteers) do not seem to be aware of the mediocre results of thirty years of development aid and countless economic missions to Africa. They often operate in echo chambers of like-minded people: risk-averse financiers, academics in their ivory towers and hyper-specialized in a single subfield of society, diplomats who avoid confrontation, consultants focused on quick advice, and politicians concerned about their re-election.
These experts dominate the media landscape and policies, but lack the experience in risky industrial entrepreneurship. They rarely take the time to examine why some developing countries are succeeding and others are not, or to listen to Africa's increasingly assertive, highly educated and rights-conscious middle class. The latter accuses its former colonizers of hypocrisy in terms of human rights and governance, especially when the West buys African raw materials at world market prices that it determines itself.
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR EUROPE: "CONNECTING THE DOTS"
A strategic partnership between Europe and Africa
The close collaboration between Europe and Africa represents an unprecedented opportunity for the European continent. By fostering a massive mix of Western and African industrial processes and technologies, and by valuing Africa's own frugal innovation, Europe can benefit from African market knowledge, culture and governance. This approach would create new bonds of mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation between the two continents.
Prospects for joint innovation
This collaboration paves the way for shared innovations, enabling the development of products and services that are both more climate-friendly and more easily recyclable. By focusing on complementarities, these innovations would be aimed at the global market and could be designed in Europe as well as in Africa. This partnership would also have a concrete impact on employment, with the creation of 20 million formal jobs annually in Africa, as well as the creation of more jobs in Europe than the jobs lost in energy-intensive industries relocated to Africa.
Strengthening Europe's economy and geopolitical position
Cooperation with Africa gives Europe a unique opportunity to revitalise its economy and consolidate its geopolitical position in a changing global context. The massive mixing of industrial processes and technologies between these two continents, characterized by different habits and needs but a short cultural distance, favors serendipity. This phenomenon makes it possible to discover, sometimes by chance, new products and services that are useful on an international scale.
Towards a prosperous future and equal partnership
The "Connecting the dots" approach makes it possible to envisage a prosperous future for Europe and Africa. However, this means adopting a new way of thinking and establishing a truly equal partnership. Thanks to this cooperation and the cultural proximity between the two continents, Europe can regain a strong geopolitical voice on the international stage, based on a renewed partnership with its African neighbour.
ACTIONS
EUROPE
AFRICA
In Belgium
One hundred evenings of debate "Change of mentality". From 2026, the Belgian government will assign ten of ENABEL's 1,500 employees to organise one hundred whole-of-society debate evenings throughout the country. Themes: "Africa is not what you think" and "Europe needs Africa more than the other way around". Objective: (1) to bring about a broad change of mentality and (2) one hundred established Belgian SMEs are looking for a mutually beneficial partnership with an African peer. The cost of this action is negligible: ENABEL staff is already budgeted; cities and municipalities are making their meeting rooms available free of charge for this event of public interest.
In Europe: all countries are following Belgium's example.
In Africa (Senegal as a pilot country)
Belgium is funding a mixed team of five young Senegalese graduates in business management and industrial engineering for twelve months, who, through desk research, examine why some developing countries succeed and others do not. These five young people will lead a large-scale awareness campaign from 2026 on the theme "African entrepreneur, dare to share your dream with an international partner". Expected result: a critical mass of one hundred established Senegalese SMEs seek partnerships with experienced foreign colleagues and combine their skills in advanced international value chains. The cost of this action: a fraction of the budgets that Belgium devotes to the Agropole-Centre industrial zone.
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