The SEADE Project (Strengthening the Europe-Africa Digital Ecosystem) is a transformative, EU-funded initiative under the Horizon Europe programme, designed to enhance digital innovation and collaboration between Africa and Europe. Running from January 2024 to December 2026, SEADE brings together ten leading organisations across both continents to co-develop practical, inclusive, and sustainable digital ecosystems. At the core of SEADE is the mission to bridge the gap between research and real-world application—empowering entrepreneurs, startups, universities, and policymakers with tools and pathways to scale innovation.
A central force in this effort is HapaSpace, a Ghana-based innovation hub and the Work Package 1 (WP1) leader for SEADE. As the lead institution for human-centred research, HapaSpace spearheaded the project’s foundational mapping of innovation needs across the four pilot regions: Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa. Through in-depth interviews, focus groups, and follow-up surveys, HapaSpace engaged nearly 100 stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, academics, funders, and policymakers. These insights informed SEADE’s tailored support services, including bootcamps, market access strategies, training sessions, and ecosystem-strengthening programmes.
By coordinating stakeholder engagement and overseeing the delivery of key project milestones—such as the Research Strategy (D1.1) and Needs Assessment Report (D1.2)—HapaSpace ensured that the project’s interventions are grounded in local realities and responsive to real challenges. Their efforts have laid the groundwork for future policy briefs, digital integration activities, and targeted capacity-building initiatives across Africa and Europe.
SEADE’s broader partnership includes Steinbeis Europa Zentrum (Germany, project coordinator), Methys Consulting (South Africa), Bond’innov (France/Senegal), the European BIC Network (Belgium), WAZIUP (Germany), Bpifrance (France), the Association of African Universities (Ghana), the Technology Innovation Agency (South Africa), and the ENRICH in Africa Center. Each partner contributes unique expertise to ensure that the project delivers lasting value through cross-continental collaboration.
Looking ahead, SEADE will progress through ecosystem mapping, policy alignment, and digital platform integration—culminating in hands-on support for startups and innovators. The goal is to establish a seamless route-to-market for African and European R&I actors, while enhancing policy coherence and boosting innovation-driven growth.
In leading the first and most critical phase of the project, HapaSpace has positioned itself as a catalyst for sustainable digital transformation in Africa, playing a key role in shaping the future of EU–Africa innovation partnerships. Through this work, SEADE is contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the EU’s Global Gateway strategy—driving economic opportunity, digital inclusion, and resilient ecosystems across bord
