The International Innovation Hub has been to Rome, to boost collaboration with the UN

The visit was organized by the Permanent mission of France to the United Nations, and included representatives of IIH member organizations (CIRAD, IRD, Institut Agro, INRAE and Agropolis International).

Making science a lever for transition

The delegation presented the IIH's vision: consolidating innovation systems to make science and research concrete levers for transition to sustainable food systems.

The IIH intends to help make communities more resilient, while supporting more responsible production and consumption models. Particular attention will be paid to project leaders from civil society, with the IIH acting as a gateway to the world of science, to guarantee their credibility, visibility and integration into local dynamics.

Three pilot countries in West Africa

The IIH will initially be focusing its activities on Benin, Senegal and Ivory Coast, with three priorities:

• Strengthen and co-construct local innovation systems, in collaboration with academic and scientific partners' innovation and development services;
• Issue an innovation challenge to develop and test concrete solutions aimed at improving sustainability and food security;
• Develop replicable models capable of being adapted and rolled out across Africa before being disseminated worldwide.

A social objective: jobs and inclusion

In addition to technical solutions, the IIH aims to create jobs for young people and women, by supporting initiatives that generate value and encouraging their inclusion in the new dynamics surrounding sustainable food systems.

A global ambition

This trip to Rome illustrates the IIH's determination to anchor its operations in a global dynamic, built on strategic partnerships. The hub hopes to become a catalyst connecting scientific innovations, citizen initiatives and local realities, to help transform sustainable food systems on a large scale.

Next steps: the Montpellier Biennale Euro-Africa

The next set of discussions will take place during Biennale Euro-Africa, to be held in Montpellier as of 6 October 2025. The IIH will be pursuing its dialogue with institutional, academic and scientific partners and civil society, to consolidate its role as an international platform to support sustainable, inclusive food systems.