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Insights into Emerging Economies n°3 – Towards new global industrial alliances

Posted on 18 April 201628 June 2023 by the_bridge_tank

This week, The Bridge Tank gives its point of view on COP-21 and the resulting lessons to be learnt. As a preview for the Abu Dhabi “Sustainability Week”, it is vital to understand how environmental issues have managed to spark interest from emerging countries. Download for more information our Insight dedicated to the outcome of COP-21.

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Insights into Emerging Economies n°2 – Special Feature on COP21

Posted on 18 April 201628 June 2023 by the_bridge_tank

At the dawn of COP21, it is time for a critical reading of the commitments made by the countries that are home to half of the world’s population today, and will be home to the majority, tomorrow. Download our Insights into Emerging Economies here .

Continue reading “Insights into Emerging Economies n°2 – Special Feature on COP21”

Abu Dhabi – A “Green Week” in the United Arab Emirates

Posted on 28 February 20161 June 2020 by the_bridge_tank

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, organized by Masdar from the 16^th to 23^rd January 2016, brought more than 32,000 participants from over 170 countries. Over years, the event has become nothing less in importance than the “Davos of energy”. This edition, coming as post-COP21, additionally whistled the real kick-off for the deployment of renewable energy. Continue reading “Abu Dhabi – A “Green Week” in the United Arab Emirates”

Paris COP21 – The Bridge Tank contributes to a report on sustainable development and intellectual property

Posted on 25 December 201528 June 2023 by the_bridge_tank

On the occasion of the COP21, on 8 December, Joël Ruet, President of The Bridge Tank, and intellectual property lawyer Guillaume Henry presented the report “Sustainable Development and Intellectual Property: Access to Technologies in Emerging Countries” at the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée.

In his presentation, Joël Ruet indicated that “the sites of specialisation are nowadays more and more temporary. This is the great lesson of emergence: the idea of specialisation, the ‘great economic idea’ that has been the basis of trade theory since the end of the 19th century, is becoming, if not moribund, at least dangerous for an economic territory. By the time specialisation is established, the industry has already changed. It is therefore important to promote a potential for rapid redeployment. It is a question of fertilising the diversity of the territories. This could be a role for the state.

Read the report here in french

Inauguration of the Solektra Solar Academy in Bamako

Posted on 16 December 201515 September 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Following the involvement of The Bridge Tank in the Akon Lighting Africa project, the Bridge Tank was received by the singer and philanthropist Akon during his visit to Bamako on December 15, 2015. Akon launched his project of electrification of the continent through the development of solar energy.

The Akon Lighting Africa program emerged following Barack Obama’s Power to Africa project, with the involvement of his former campaign advisor Thione Niang. One year after its launch, the promoters of Akon Lighting Africa claim to have created 5,500 indirect jobs.

The initiative, supported by Solektra International, launched in 2014 with $1 billion in funding, plans to electrify several million homes in 40 countries by 2020. More than 100,000 streetlights and 102,000 solar home kits have been installed in 480 localities and 14 countries across the continent. Also, during this conference Akon announced the launch of the Solektra Solar Academy, an engineering training academy in Bamako.

It aims to train engineers in developing a renewable and sustainable electrification of the peripheral districts of Bamako and other important Malian cities thanks to solar energy. The Academy aims to train 200 skilled workers per year. Scheduled to open in January 2016, the academy will provide technical and energy market training but also programs to eradicate poverty.

Policy Brief: For a Rural Economic Ecosystem Strategy: Towards Inclusive Growth in Emerging Countries

Posted on 6 November 201516 December 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Emergence is not just industrial or urban. The Bridge Tank outlines a strategy for inclusive growth through the creation-densification of agricultural economic ecosystems forming a diversified rural economy.

In the context of the emergence of urban economies of Asia and Africa, this Policy brief sets out an inclusive growth strategy through the creation-densification of agricultural economic ecosystems forming a truly diversified rural economy, making it possible to ensure food security by generating income. Generalizing successful or ambitious national initiatives, it recommends for developing sub-Saharan Africa and Asia a territorial-level coordination of initiatives already implemented by economic actors at local scales. After the aporia of “development”, emergence re-widens the horizon. Everywhere in the South, it is time to structure a true rural economy.

Read the policy brief here in French.

The Bridge Tank attends the third India-Africa Forum Summit

Posted on 5 November 201516 December 2021 by the_bridge_tank

The third India-Africa Forum Summit was held in New Delhi, India, from 26th to 29th October 2015.

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited African heads of states and governments. This summit notably included a discussion with the Indian Minister of Finance Arun Jaitly, as well as one with the Kenyan delegation, which was organised by the Observer Resource Foundation.

One highlight of the India-Africa Summit was the intervention of the Senegalese President Macky Sall on the changing role of investors. This discussion was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, represented by its Chairman and gathered the main Indian CEOs.

The Bridge Tank was the only European think tank to be invited to the debates and exchanges in connexion to its support to reforms in Africa, for instance the Emerging Plan of Sénégal (PSE), as well as its contribution for years to several Indian public policies.

The African Way to Emerge : The Vision of the Elites

Posted on 3 November 20156 August 2020 by the_bridge_tank

Despite growth rates that are close to Asian levels, Africa continues to draw doubts from experts, who point to various structural problems. African elites are conscious of the challenges, but promote a positive vision focused on solutions and opportunities. Mohamed Soual (Chief Economist of Moroccan’s leading industrial company), Mamadou Lamine Diallo (Senegal Member of Parliament) and Joël Ruet (Chairman of the Bridge Tank) join voices in this column published in Le Monde Afrique on the 3^rdof November 2015. These three authors analyse the African issues and economical challenges, with a specific focus on green revolution potential, local and regional cooperation, and mining and energy sectors incomes:. Read the text in French…

Emerging Africa : Under Which Conditions ?

Posted on 13 October 201522 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

It’s Africa’s turn to emerge according to experts. But according to those external voices, it will only happen provided that the continent enhances its natural resources. In this column published in Le Monde on the 13th of October 2015, Joel Ruet and El Hadj Kassé (Minister-Counselor to the President of Senegal) believe that the conditions are quite different than the picture being painted by these experts. They advocate for inclusive growth in Africa, with qualitative investment in people and internal and sustainable dynamics, which will enable these countries to move away from sole reliance on natural resources income. Read the text in French…

A look back at Minister Borloo’s pledge for the electrification of Africa

Posted on 7 March 201515 September 2021 by the_bridge_tank

On March 3, 2015 the Bridge Tank attended the ceremony at the Elysée Palace where President Hollande gave his support to Minister Borloo’s initiative for the electrification of Africa. Many political figures attended this event including Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, but also the presidents of the Senate and the Assembly. François Hollande said during the conference that: “Only Jean-Louis Borloo could bring together these political forces. This is the spirit of the Grenelle,” referring to the Grenelle Environment Forum that the former Minister of Ecology had overseen.

The latter wishes, ahead of the COP21, to frame a real “win-win” between developed and developing countries to gather the basis for an agreement. Jean Louis Borloo insists on the migration issues that would be caused by the lack of access to electricity: “Every year, 10 million more Africans do not have access to energy. If nothing is done, the migration problems will continue. Access to electricity is crucial as it leads to access to water, economic, social and cultural development.

Africa has its own programs, as does the U.S., which has programs for Africa; the next step is greater coordination, which will likely take years. But the bricks are adding up and it was interesting to attend the event. The Bridge Tank then spoke with Minister Borloo, who gave us feedback on his desire to push the integration of strategies and implications of African agencies and companies.

The objective of this foundation “Energies for Africa” was the creation of an agency for the electrification of the continent. Jean-Louis Borloo maintains that “every year, 10 million more Africans do not have access to energy. If nothing is done, the problems of migration will continue. For him, access to electricity is crucial since it also promotes access to water and economic, social and cultural development.

Jean-Louis Borloo also presented his plan for the “electrification of Africa”, which should be spread over ten years. This initiative should benefit from “4 billion euros of subsidies per year for 12 years, and 200 billion in loans” from the French government.