Digitalisation for Transformation

Abstract

This book engages with the relatively recent field of digitalisation and digital cooperation between Africa and Europe. The discussions point to the opportunities and challenges emerging from the aspiration of developing a digital partnership between the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU). Applying a multidisciplinary and multi-level perspective, the contributions shed light on the potential for digital transformation and the question of digital cooperation between the AU and EU. The analyses engage with digitalisation as an expression of power politics, examine digital tools and governance mechanisms, including debates on new policies and regulatory frameworks, and investigate the impact of the digital transformation on people’s daily lives. The rich insights presented in the book point to three key messages around the necessity for: (1) a deeper AU–EU cooperation in digitalisation, (2) further elaboration of the prospects for mutual benefits that could result from the strategic partnership between the two regions, and (3) exploiting new frontiers for AU–EU cooperation in digitalisation that can open further opportunities for increased competitiveness and development outcomes for both continents. However, for closer cooperation between Africa and Europe to become fruitful and add mutual value in a highly competitive field, both complementary goals and diverging objectives must be identified and addressed.