The Springboard event is being funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under the Research Councils’ Global Challenges Research Fund.

The purpose of the Africa-Lancaster Springboard for International Collaboration is to develop plans for research-led projects between the University and partners in Africa.  Potential research projects will focus on sustainable development goals, supporting equitable growth and positive environmental impacts across Africa.  Funding from EPSRC will be used to take forward ideas through pilot collaborative research projects.

The event was attended by 30 senior academics from Lancaster University who met delegates from a range of governmental, business and research organisations in West Africa.

The first day was a high-level strategic conference to agree and set priorities, looking particularly at university-business collaboration in Africa, followed by two days of intensive discussion and preparation of project ideas.

Professor Steve Bradley, Pro Vice-Chancellor International said that a clear message from partners was that sustainable development on the continent demanded a transformation in the way research and business work together to drive “Green Growth” or eco-innovation.

“Effective collaboration between university-based researchers, policy makers and business has the capacity to drive forward this transformation as Africa develops and deploys its strategies for “Green Growth”.

“Green Growth needs innovative, commercially successful products, services and technologies that reduce the impacts of human activities on the environment.  Lancaster is delighted to be able to work with partners in West Africa as part of a true knowledge-exchange to address these challenges.”

Over the next five years, this will lead to larger collaborative research projects which the University will seek funding for from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). 

More images of the event are on twitter at #LU_GCRF