Long-Term Joint European Union - African Union Research and Innovation Partnership on Renewable Energy (LEAP-RE)

LEAP-RE - RE4AFAGRI aims at developing the state of the art of climate-water-energy--land-food-environment nexus modelling in rural areas of developing countries to bridge the current gap between large-scale and local-scale analysis approaches. The project aims to provide a set of open-source validated tools developed through analytical and empirical approaches that can be exploited by stakeholders in future applications. In addition, LEAP-RE - RE4AFAGRI aims to design business models that allow the implementation of integrated technological solutions in rural areas, based on identified best practices, regulatory obstacles and opportunities through the participation of African companies, public authorities and consortia of small owners. The ultimate goal is to support policy makers in defining policy frameworks that ensure that the identified business models can be successfully implemented by local entrepreneurs, while also meeting the technical and environmental requirements to achieve development goals in rural areas.

Main Results and Outputs

• Develop and publish openly of a set of validated tools developed through analytical and empirical approaches that can be exploited in future applications, such as an online interactive dashboard co-optimizing energy, environmental, and development outcomes under different future scenarios and objectives.
• Design and apply innovative business models that enable the implementation of integrated energy-water solutions in rural areas through the participation of African companies, public authorities and consortia of smallholder farmers.
• Support policy makers in defining policy frameworks that ensure that the identified business models can be successfully implemented by local entrepreneurs, while also meeting the technical and environmental requirements to achieve development goals in rural areas.
• Carry out capacity building activities for African researchers and stakeholders to disseminate the project outputs and foster its future utilization, both for the modelling platform and the business models developed.

Forthcoming activities: The LEAP-RE project will implement capacity building activities both in African research institutions and online in 2023.