Africa Innovates is a conference that aims to promote internal collaborations between Africa-focused Science, Policy and Education initiatives at Imperial and build bridges with external partners, focusing specifically on STEMB (Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Business). Africa Innovates cultivates an interdisciplinary dialogue for key researchers, shapers, and decision-makers to explore innovative ideas of how to address some of the grand challenges that African societies are facing today. This conference will showcase some of the Africa-focused activities currently taking place at Imperial.
The 2026 conference will feature a dynamic mix of plenary sessions, breakout discussions, lightning talks, and poster presentations. Plenary sessions will encourage reflective dialogue on how research is conducted in and with Africa, while thematic sessions will showcase innovative ideas, collaborations, and pathways for impact. We attempt to curate a science dialogue with practitioners, policymakers, civil society, central and local government, public sector, private sector, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, and academics across disciplines.
Our conference themes include:
- Reimagining public health in a globalised Africa. This theme explores new models for improving physical and mental health in African contexts, including innovations in diagnostics, prevention, and treatment of diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, and neonatal health challenges. It will also consider the role of traditional ecological knowledge alongside modern medical approaches. Relevant Faculties: Medicine, School of Public Health, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial Global.
- Future-proofing infrastructure. Africa’s development is constrained by infrastructural gaps—from post-harvest losses due to poor roads and refrigeration to inadequate water and sanitation systems. A surge in infrastructural development is also leading to the encroachment of protected areas and the loss of productive land. This theme will discuss innovative and sustainable approaches to infrastructure design and management, including public-private partnerships, engineering innovations, and modelling to reduce inequalities and environmental degradation. Relevant Faculties: Engineering, Business School, Economics.
- Entrepreneurship, business and decent jobs in the age of advanced technologies. Novel technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence) hold transformative potential for Africa, but risk deepening inequalities if access and ethics are neglected. This session will explore the role of business in shaping novel technologies that can bridge rather than widen the digital divide, ensuring inclusion, minimum wage/low-skilled decent jobs, ethical data use, and provide equitable benefits across societies. Relevant faculties: Business School, Computing, Institute for Security Science and Technology.
- Food systems sustainability and nutrition. This theme examines the interlinkages between food systems, nutrition, and sustainability – ranging from dietary transitions and alternative proteins to agroforestry and climate-smart agriculture. How can Africa balance nutritional needs with ecological resilience and economic opportunity? Relevant faculties: Imperial Global, Centre for Environmental Policy, Grantham Institute, Environmental Engineering.
- Building climate resilience. Africa faces disproportionate climate impacts—from heat stress and mortality to biodiversity loss and economic vulnerability. This theme focuses on pathways to resilience through ecosystem restoration, climate finance, and circular economy innovations such as carbon pricing, green bonds, subsidies, trading schemes, and market-shaping mechanisms. Relevant faculties: Business School, Centre for Environmental Policy, Grantham Institute, Environmental Engineering.
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