Thomas Prorok’s Post

Reflecting on the East African Tech Event of the Year: Kenya-USA Tech (KUSAT) Forum I recently attended the KUSAT Forum hosted by Sevenett, and it was an incredible experience. The event pooled together an impressive array of innovators and leaders, including Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, MBS, Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, who discussed how we can leverage partnerships to strengthen Kenya’s tech ecosystem. The discussions, which were rich and multifaceted, covered themes like startups, job creation, innovation, funding, service delivery, trends, policy, and collaboration. One particularly enlightening conversation revolved around how technology can transform education in Kenya, with insights shared by various experts, including Alice Munyua, who highlighted the critical need for privacy and data protection in our digital landscape. We also had impactful presentations from the PS for Diaspora Affairs, Roseline Kathure Njogu, who emphasized her role in improving services for Kenyans living abroad. Gerald A. Moore Sr. shared his transformative journey and how we can empower underserved youth through mentorship and technology education. Additionally, John Paul Okwiri, OGW, MBA, MCIPS reinforced the importance of collaborative action in building tailor made sustainable ventures back home. Joanne Marime shared her inspiring journey from Dandora slum to Microsoft. Ben Roberts stressed the need for local production of complex machines, such as phones and cars, to build a robust manufacturing ecosystem and enhance the value chain. A special thanks to Geoffrey Ouma and the Sevenett team, including Betty Mwende, who were nothing short of gracious to my team and me. While images and footage from the event are still pending release, I’ve compiled my perspective in the Medium article below. Read my full perspective here! https://lnkd.in/dGJSbEDT #KenyaUSATechForum #Innovation #TechEcosystem #Collaboration

How can #AV transform #publictransport in #EU cities? How to ensure a #responsible #governace of such a disruptive #innovation? Join our webinar to know more ⤵️

📣 The #RegionalInnovationValleys are selected! Commissioners Iliana Ivanova and Elisa Ferreira announced the 151 regions – including over 70 #ERRINmembers – at the European Committee of the Regions plenary session yesterday. The announcement was done one year after the launch of the call for expression of interest and the calls for proposals under EIE part of #HorizonEU and #I3Instrument of ERDF in 2023. Selected regions will now work to harness the potential of deep-tech innovation by enhancing the coordination and directionality of their R&I investment and policies towards key EU priorities, strengthening their R&I ecosystems and engaging in R&I collaboration with more and less advanced regions with complementary smart specialisations (#S3). We are thrilled to note that 73 #ERRINmember regions can now call themselves Regional Innovation Valleys. Congratulations to all our successful members, including regions of our Policy and Smart Specialisation Working Group leaders: Basque Country, Central Sweden European Office (North Middle Sweden and East Middle Sweden), Région Normandie, North-East Romania RDA - Brussels Office, Région Sud - Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Scotland Europa, Region Skåne (South Sweden), Regione Toscana and Wielkopolska. Among the 151 identified RIVs, 79 regions received the label based on answering the call for EoI and 72 regions are on track to become RIVs after successful participation in the calls for proposals – 15 projects will be granted a total of around EUR 116 million through the ERDF and Horizon Europe funding, and committed to co-fund another €77 million from private and public sources. Apart from funding, the European Commission aims to support these regions through community building activities, matchmaking events and targeted communication actions. New RIV calls under Horizon Europe with a total budget of EUR 40 million are expected in 2025! 💡 ERRIN has been closely following the RIV initiative, engaging in discussions and continuously supporting members in applying to the related calls through mapping, matchmaking and knowledge sharing activities, following high interest from the community. We look forward to offering opportunities for ERRIN members to share their RIV experiences and to support peer-learning among the 120 innovative European regions part of the network, as well as facilitate applying to the future RIV calls next year. ➡ Learn more and find the list of successful ERRIN member regions here: https://lnkd.in/d93m8FaS

#AccessibleEU has created a Community of Practice on LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/ddxcBKcK to connect accessibility professionals. AccessibleEU is now launching a workspace on the Online Campus https://lnkd.in/dAQGhM_k where registered members can ask or answer questions, or share information that can be of interest for the group. This workspace is divided into thematic forums moderated by AccessibleEU’s consortium senior experts: - Built environment, coordinated by ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism) - Transport, coordinated by Fundación ONCE - ICT, coordinated by JKU (Johannes Kepler University Linz) - Policies, coordinated by EASPD (European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities) - Standards, coordinated by UNE (Spanish Association for Standardisation) - Other topics, coordinated by Fundación ONCE. Language: English More information: https://lnkd.in/duZXvBeX #accessibility #AccessibleBuiltEnvironment #AccessibleTransportation #DigitalAccessibility #AccessibleTechnologies #AccessibilityPolicies #AccessibilityStandards #AccessibilityCommunityOfPractice

We are in Bologna, Italy, for the 11th Integrating Cities Conference. This event concludes the UNITES project, a transnational initiative focused on co-designing integration strategies with stakeholders, migrants, and established residents. Coordinated by the city network Eurocities and co-funded by the European Fund for Asylum, Migration, and Integration (AMIF), this project has been a significant journey. For the past three years, UNITEE has actively contributed to UNITES by sharing our extensive knowledge, gained from our members' decades of experience in entrepreneurship, with the eight participating municipalities. UNITES achievements include: 🔹 Conducting a training session on co-design methods for integration strategies. 🔹 Creating a "How to" guide on co-design methods. 🔹 Developing a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). 🔹 Formulating 8 city action and engagement plans. 🔹 Implementing a successful peer support program that included 8 city field visits. Together, we can create a foundation for more inclusive cities, setting a path for continued collaboration and innovation in integration strategies across Europe.

What will the future-proof living spaces be like outside national growth poles? This will be studied in the new FutureECOS project!

Exciting to see the focus on regional innovation and aligning EU efforts with local needs! The ACTIONbook seems like a valuable resource for driving transformative #innovation across all EU territories. Let's be part of shaping the future together! #EUinnovation #TransformativeChange 🚀💡

#EUBIC regional innovation drivers:  Check out the ACTIONbook, by European Committee of the Regions EU Science, Research and Innovation. +70 territories (including cities, regions, Member States and networks) are drawing the map of Innovative territories, applying these practices and sharing their experiences, learning from and with each other. Be part of EU’s transformative innovation map!

Visit to Estonia.....Part 2 On this second post on my Estonian visit, I will delve into the 10th e-Governance Conference, which was held under the theme, “Unlocking Digital Success”. This 10th Conference took place in Tartu City, which coincidentally had been selected as one of the European Capitals of Culture in 2024. I took part in a panel discussion on, “Learning from the past, growing today and winning tomorrow”, during which I emphasized on the crucial role of collaboration between public and private sectors in unlocking digital success. Additionally, I underscored the increasing awareness among citizens and highlighted the era of participatory feedback that we currently live in. Here are my key takeaways from the conference: 👩💻 Technology without skills and education is merely hardware. Cultivating proficiency and applying expertise guarantees that digital resources serve their purpose in learning, tackling challenges, and fostering innovation. 📣 Speaker after speaker emphasized the timeless importance of dismantling barriers and data silos. Through enhancing data interoperability and interactivity, we will enable efficient service provision and unlock the pathway to a thriving digital community. 🌍 Effective digital strategies require customization to local environments. Recognizing the distinct requirements of each context ensures that digital innovations are not only applicable but also impactful. Look out for the last post in this series tomorrow. #unlockingdigitalsuccess #partnership Daniel Schaer Hannes Astok e-Governance Academy Justina Oha Paul Timmers Heidi Berner Anna-Greta Tsahkna

Excited to be in Copenhagen! 🇩🇰 Tomorrow, we're hosting an event to boost digital awareness and readiness for Danish cities and communities. Join us to learn how to leverage technology to drive innovation and efficiency. As part of the event, I'll be presenting two key EU initiatives: 🧭 LORDIMAS: A powerful tool to assess your city's digital maturity. ⚙️ Local Digital Twins Online Procurement HelpDesk: A comprehensive resource to guide you through the digital procurement process. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with experts, network with peers, and discover practical solutions for your digital transformation journey. #digitaltransformation #EUinitiatives #LORMIDAS #procurement #Copenhagen