The Africa-Europe Science Collaboration and Innovation Platform (AERAP) is a stakeholder forum convened to define priorities for science and innovation cooperation between Africa and Europe. It provides a framework for stakeholders from industry and academia to define research action plans across the wide range of technological areas that will be essential for addressing common challenges and future. This framework will enable major research and technological advances that will drive socioeconomic development and competitiveness in both Africa and Europe.

AERAP is structured around a network of key stakeholders who come together in regular meetings to work on developing and updating agendas for radio astronomy cooperation. These agendas are developed through dialogue with industry, research institutes and the public sector from across EU Member States and African nations and they aim at better aligning priorities across a range of scientific themes with those of researchers and industry representatives.

The overall goals of the platform are to strengthen research and innovation in Europe and Africa, improve knowledge transfer and stimulate competitiveness across both continents.

AERAP responds to the European Parliament Written Declaration 45 on Science Capacity Building in Africa. This call was repeated by the Heads of State of the African Union through their Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.407 CXVIII. AERAP encourages policymakers to understand the need for an enabling policy and regulatory environment for science cooperation with Africa and championing leadership in both Africa and Europe to demonstrate science’s contribution to society.