As economic relations between Ghana and France deepen this Golden Jubilee year, MEST Ghana signs a partnership agreement with French agency Paris&Co

France recognizes Ghana’s potential in new technologies and supports its ecosystem for start-ups.

The Ghanaian entrepreneurial ecosystem is now in full development. Dynamic, innovative and pragmatic, Ghanaian entrepreneurs are the result of this new technological generation, which is evolving in a society in profound change. Accra is thus one of these dynamic, innovative cities, hosting many start-ups and incubators. The MEST, incubator and entrepreneurial school tech, is part of the MeltWater group. It is the flagship of the Ghanaian tech ecosystem.

The purpose of this MoU is to establish a mutually beneficial relationship which fosters the growth of each of the parties’ ecosystem by facilitating the circulation of startups between the two cities and also facilitating the circulation of information between the two parties.

It also shows the interest stimulated by the Ghanaian entrepreneurial ecosystem and its qualities of innovation with French digital operators already present in Africa within the French Tech hubs of Abidjan and Cape Town.

France plays an increasing role in the digitisation in Africa

The signing of this agreement comes as France hosts the largest incubator in the world: ‘’Station F’’, emblematic of France’s status as a forerunner in the field of new technologies.

PARIS&Co is the economic development and innovation agency of Paris, which prospects and provides support for foreign direct investments, promotes the international attractiveness of Paris abroad and fosters the Parisian innovation ecosystem through the incubation of startups, the testing of new solutions, the organization of events and the cooperation between startups and global players.

“This agreement, which is the first in our bilateral relations, shows the increasing role of France in the digitisation of Africa. In the case of Ghana, young entrepreneurs have been and will be invited to France in order to support innovation”, said the French Ambassador on the occasion of the signing of the MoU between MEST Ghana and PARIS&Co.

Soon in Ghana, an initiative to bring together Ghanaian tech and French digital industry

As part of the ‘’France & Ghana 1957-2017: moving forward together’’ initiative, from 1st to 9th June, the French embassy and its network of partner institutions are organizing several digital events in Ghana dubbed ‘’The French Digital June’’: a French language hackaton and digital innovation, a two-day forum regarding the ‘’Ghanaian Tech’’ and the ‘’French digital’’, which will be closed with an exhibition at Alliance Française Accra.

Source: French Embassy Ghana