The Africa–Europe Innovation Platform (AEIP) has launched the Youth Innovation Playbook in collaboration with The Youth Café, a new resource to help young innovators and entrepreneurs across Africa and Europe transform bold ideas into sustainable action.
The Playbook was developed through an extensive co-creation process involving researchers, entrepreneurs, innovation practitioners, and reviewers from over seven countries across Africa and Europe. More than 100 young innovation stakeholders contributed insights through surveys and validation workshops to ensure the resource remained practical and firmly youth-centred.
Created with young people, rather than simply for them, the Playbook reflects diverse perspectives and lived experiences from multiple countries while prioritising the empowerment of underrepresented groups.
To ensure the Playbook responded to real-world challenges, the AEIP and The Youth Café organised a six-day virtual validation workshop series bringing together youth leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, and innovation stakeholders from across Africa and Europe. Participants tested the Playbook’s tools and practical application while providing structured feedback that informed its final design.
The Playbook aligns with key continental and global frameworks, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024), and the AU–EU Innovation Agenda. These frameworks recognise youth innovation and cross-continental cooperation as essential drivers of sustainable development.
