The potential for future cooperation between Korea and Africa seems immense. Korean leaders recently announced their intention to sign a partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB). “The representatives of Busan Metropolitan City, Busan Techno Park and the Korean Green Technology Center believe that the potential for cooperation is immense, as well as the opportunities for projects that create jobs. The spectrum ranges from agriculture to green growth, intelligent urban transport management and many other business opportunities.
The African side sees this future cooperation as a growth accelerator. The AfDB President noted that the Bank intends to “explore the establishment of a strategic partnership with Korea that could lead to the creation of an African-Korean drone research and training centre, paving the way for Africa’s fourth industrial revolution”. This centre should enable smarter and greener management of agriculture in Africa. On the ground, the AfDB has already launched a project with the city of Busan and Busan Techno Park on the use of drones to collect and analyse data for agricultural development in Tunisia. The project makes it possible to monitor groundwater, identify the effects of climate change, collect data on biodiversity, land degradation, dam filling or siltation rates, etc. It should then extend such programmes to other African countries.
Collaboration with Seoul will lead to capacity building in Africa, including training that will enable Africa to industrialise and manufacture drones itself to monitor the effects of climate change on agriculture. The energy sector and access to finance will also be priorities for this future partnership.
Luchelle Feukeng