The Joint Research Centre (JRC) hosted an ArcX Programme workshop at its premises in Ispra from 20 to 24 April, bringing together representatives from African Regional Centres of Excellence (RCoEs), European Commission services and technical assistance teams. Organised under the Biodiversity and Forests Component of the ArcX Programme, the workshop formed part of the broader Africa Regional Centres of Excellence initiative — a Directorate-General for International Partnerships Global Gateway programme (2023–2029) that aims to strengthen the partnership between sub-Saharan Africa and the European Union by supporting Africa’s sustainable green transition through science, technology and innovation.

Within the ArcX Programme, the JRC contributes to five of the six thematic components:

• JRC D.6 supports the Biodiversity and Forests, Climate Change and Resilience, and Transversal Components;
• JRC D.2 contributes to the Water Component;
• JRC D.4 and JRC D.5 contribute to the Agroecology Component.

Strong African and European participation

The workshop brought together 20 representatives from three African Regional Centres of Excellence actively engaged in the Biodiversity and Forests Component. Participants included the Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE), the University of Ghana, the Observatoire des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale (OFAC) supported by the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), and the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD). The component’s lead organisation, Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR), also contributed throughout the week.

European participants included colleagues from DG INTPA.F.2, the EU Delegation in Cameroon, experts from the NaturAfrica Technical Assistance Facility and representatives of the ArcX Technical Assistance team. JRC colleagues from both transversal and thematic components also took part, including the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) in its role as the European Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Discussions focused on collaboration, sustainability and innovation

Over five days, participants explored a broad range of priorities linked to the ArcX Biodiversity and Forests Component. Discussions focused on strengthening biodiversity and forest monitoring systems, improving infrastructure and data management capacities, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Africa Knowledge Platform as a central hub for knowledge sharing and decision-support tools.

The workshop also examined how the ArcX transversal component, the JRC and the Technical Assistance team can support the long-term sustainability and strategic autonomy of the RCoEs through stronger networking, enhanced coordination and access to EU expertise. Participants exchanged views on the added value of artificial intelligence, opportunities for intra- and inter-regional knowledge sharing, and ways to strengthen communication and visibility through the Africa Knowledge Platform. Discussions further explored how to better engage the private sector, younger generations and academic communities in future ArcX activities and events.

Additional thematic sessions addressed NaturAfrica indicators and conservation efforts linked to green corridors, the role of RCoEs as Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centres under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and protected area management effectiveness (IMET/PAME), with a particular focus on governance needs. Breakout sessions throughout the week also gave participants the opportunity to work directly with JRC and Africa Knowledge Platform tools and services.

Participants highlighted the importance of in-person exchanges in fostering co-creation, mutual learning and constructive dialogue. They underlined the need to streamline existing knowledge, align RCoE contributions around a shared long-term vision and maintain regular interaction to ensure that future activities continue to respond to the evolving needs of the RCoEs and their stakeholders.