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PACF: Cluster initiatives for Africa economic development and sustainability

2nd Continental Conference of the Pan-African Competitiveness Forum 15-17 February 2010, Elmina, Ghana. The second meeting of the Pan African Competitiveness Forum was held in Elmina (Ghana) from 15 to 17 February. The three-day conference under the theme: "Cluster Initiatives for Africa Economic Development and Sustainability", gathered about 120 delegates and cluster practitioners from 13 different African countries and other international institutions within and outside Africa. The conference offered the opportunity of presenting several cluster initiatives carried out in the continent.

Alberto Pezzi, President of TCI, in his intervention as invited speakers, stressed the historical link existing between TCI and Africa since the Institute establishment in 1998 and the active participation of African members in TCI global conference. Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, Chairman of PACF Council and member of TCI Board of Directores said that some few enthusiastic people from Africa brought into fruition PACF and noted that Africa could not be condemned to poverty and negativity. He urged Africans to put that history behind them, chart a new path forward and use the forum to champion competitiveness with value chain additions to the primary products of businesses by using the clusters.

In the conference, a special attention was given to the AECII - African European Climate Innovation Initiative www.aecii.net that brings together representatives from business, knowledge institutions, governments and NGOs/CSOs from Africa and Europe. Climate change was noted as a critical development issue for Africa and the need to mainstream it in National development planning strategies was evident.

The First Continental Conference was dedicated to the birth of the PACF. This second conference was generally aimed at setting the PACF onto the path of growth. The content of the three-day Conference was largely knowledge exchange, competence building and experience sharing. The specific objectives were to:

appraise progress made since the inauguration of the PACF in Addis Ababa in April 2008;
create a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience in enhancing competitiveness of enterprises;
follow-up on agreed strategies for impact in respective African countries.

The Conference involved plenary presentations by leading experts on competitiveness and cluster initiatives. Members from the various national teams presented papers accepted through a screening mechanism. There were many group discussions and a general meeting of the PACF. There were also exhibitions alongside the Conference involving key cluster actors in Ghana.

The Pan-African Competitiveness Forum (PACF)
The PACF as a new continental organization came into existence in April 2008 in Addis Ababa with the support of the African Union (AU) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in collaboration with The Competitiveness Institute (TCI). The establishment of the PACF was in response to the concern to see Africa develop in a sustainable manner and achieve the Millennium Development Goals within the foreseeable future, and get integrated into the global economy. African countries should not merely be producers of raw materials but exporters of value added products and services. The PACF's vision of Africa's integration and effective competition on the global stage is founded on innovation and cluster-based initiatives bringing government, academia and entrepreneurs into a triple helix partnership.
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