On 1 June 2025, more than 60 participants from 13 African countries gathered in Cairo for a high-level workshop co-hosted by the African Electrotechnical Standardisation Commission (AFSEC) and the InDiCo-Global project. Organized by CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, with the support of the Egyptian government, the event brought together National Standardization Committees, ministries, regulators, and private sector stakeholders to strengthen mutual understanding and develop cooperation between the African and European standardization systems in the digital domain.
Held under the title “Standards in Action: A Collaborative Exchange between European and African Standards Organizations”, the workshop focused on how international and globally applicable standards can support Africa’s digital transformation through a secure, interoperable, and inclusive infrastructure. Key thematic areas included smart grids, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, digital identity, and public-private partnerships.
In his opening remarks on behalf of the European Commission, Carlos López-Rodriguez (DG CNECT) underlined the global dimension of the European Standardization Strategy and the importance of trusted digital partnerships with Africa. He welcomed Egypt’s growing role in this agenda, highlighting its recent association to Horizon Europe and inclusion in the EU Trusted List for electronic signatures — the first country outside Europe to achieve this.
AFSEC President Bernard Modey, Egypt NEC President Hassan Mahmoud, and ETSI Chief Policy Officer Martin Chatel also addressed participants during the opening. The programme featured technical contributions from AFSEC NECs (including Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt), the Egyptian cybersecurity firm Cyshield, and European Standards Organizations (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI) represented by Xavier Piednoir and Sebastian Vogel.
A highlight of the event was the strategic panel discussion on enhancing cooperation and shaping future initiatives. Moderated by Pitso Sekhoto, Chair of the AFSEC Young Professionals, the panel brought together Zhuohua Chen (CEN and CENELEC), Martin Chatel (ETSI), and Nermeen Mohamed (Egyptian Organization for Standards and Quality – EOS). The discussion focused on identifying priority areas for joint activities, aligning EU and African approaches to digital policy and standardization, and enhancing structures such as national technical committees, stakeholder engagement platforms, and regional working groups.
The panellists also explored how to foster greater African participation in international standardization bodies, strengthen the voice of African countries in global fora, and create practical follow-up mechanisms to monitor the progress of collaboration. A recurring theme was the need to link policy ambitions with technical capacity, supported by investment in education, infrastructure, and institutional partnerships.
The workshop concluded with a forward-looking dialogue on areas for cooperation.
Proposed elements include:
- Capacity building through study visits, training seminars, and young professional programmes;
- Technical and regulatory alignment in ICT and digital standards, including tailored approaches inspired by the EU’s New Legislative Framework;
- Joint work on energy and smart grids, including co-development of EMC standards and shared testing infrastructure;
- Support for emerging digital topics such as AI, consumer IoT, and data interoperability — potentially through new Technical Committees or EU-funded pilot projects.
Held back-to-back with AFSEC’s Extraordinary General Assembly, the workshop reinforced the importance of long-term cooperation between Africa and Europe on international standards. InDiCo-Global, funded through Horizon Europe, plays a central role in facilitating this engagement and advancing shared digital and sustainability goals.
To learn more, visit the InDiCo-Global website.
