Milan, 17th of November 2023 –RES4Africa Foundation successfully carried out the 10th edition of the RES4Africa Academy Executive School, a flagship capacity-building initiative dedicated to institutional profiles, high-level managers and other professionals operating in the African RE sector. The training relied this year on the support of the Enel Foundation, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the European Investment Bank, and was implemented in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Management and SDA Bocconi.
The main aim of the Executive school is to enhance local ownership of sustainable projects, opening new REs-related job opportunities and improving local skills. This goal was pursued by holding 10 days of appointments, which were inaugurated on the 6th of November, and held daily in Milan, Italy, one week at the Politecnico University and the second one at Bocconi University.
The training beneficiaries were 40 students among professionals and managers from public institutions, national authorities, energy companies, implementing agencies, research institutions and civil society organisations that were selected and provided with a full scholarship. The trainees represent 14 African countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ivory Coast, and Uganda
The students were provided with frontal lectures, which gave a comprehensive overview of the main topics related to Africa’s energy transition: from energy management, energy efficiency measures and electrification, to cross-sectoral decarbonisation enablers, circular economy, Water-Energy-Food Nexus, project bankability and finance, and from grids and electricity infrastructures to access to energy. All lessons were delivered by experienced managers, professionals, academics and high-skilled technicians from RES4Africa’s network, and included opportunities such as visiting the CESI SpA headquarters and gaining insights on power quality, storage, and VRE Grid Integration. The attendees also got the chance to go on an art and culture visit to Duomo di Milano which gave them the chance to discover more about the history and culture of Milan.
The closing session counted on the participation of (in order of intervention) Beatrice Manzoni (Professor at SDA Bocconi), Cons. Amb. Francesca Santoro, (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation), Roberto Vigotti (Secretary General at RES4Africa Foundation), Matteo Di Castelnuovo (Professor of Practice in Energy Economics at SDA Bocconi), and Joyce Liyan (Head of Division Advisory, European Investment Bank).
Roberto Vigotti, RES4Africa's Foundation Secretary General, emphasized that the Executive school of RES4Africa vividly demonstrates the critical role of capacity-building. He noted that “Africa's energy transition hinges on the presence of a proficient and motivated managerial class, and the program's offerings play a pivotal role in fostering greater equality, sustainability, and inclusivity within African nations.”
According to Matteo Di Castelnuovo, Professor of Practice in Energy Economics at SDA Bocconi, “The Executive School of RES4Africa represents a rather unique opportunity for our institution to contribute to an exciting and well-established program, which is entirely dedicated to African participants and focused on the development of clean energy technologies. Moreover this School is a good example of the type of projects focusing on sustainability that SDA Bocconi would like to develop in the coming years.”
“Partnerships are more crucial than ever in this time of global challenges, and EIB Global is proud to have partnered with Res4Africa and have participated in the Renew Africa network since 2019. As the EU Climate Bank, we continually strengthen cooperation with partners across Europe and Africa, in line with our climate objectives, to increase access to clean, reliable and affordable energy.” Stated Joyce Liyan , Head of Division Advisory at the European Investment Bank.
Simone Pasquini, Area manager Africa of Consulting Division at CESI Sp.A, stated “On behalf of the whole CESI team involved in the event, extends his sincere gratitude for the opportunity given by RES4Africa Foundation to exchange the experiences coming from our international consultancy activities in the power sector and more specifically in the Grid Renewable Integration. It was truly an honor to be a part of such a vital discussion with the selected delegation of African professionals and to contribute to the dialogue surrounding the development of renewable energy solutions for the African continent. Events like these play a crucial role in shaping the future of renewable energy in Africa, and I look forward to the continued collaboration and progress in the renewable energy landscape for the continent.”
