Accelerating Structural Transformation and Industrialization in Developing Countries: Navigating the Future with Advanced ICTs and Industry 4.0

Summary

This discussion focused on how Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing technologies can accelerate structural transformation in developing countries, particularly in Africa. The session was co-organized by ESMA (Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing in Africa), UNIDO, and the Digital Transformation Alliance. Rafik Feki, UNIDO representative for several West African countries, explained that his organization provides comprehensive technical assistance to African nations seeking to adopt smart manufacturing, including ecosystem assessments, policy development, human capital preparation, and institutional support. He emphasized that Industry 4.0 represents a complete industrial revolution requiring changes in thinking and planning approaches, not merely technology adoption.

Professor Sama Mbang, CEO of the Digital Transformation Alliance and UNIDO expert, highlighted the transformative opportunities that Industry 4.0 presents for developing countries to leapfrog outdated production systems. He explained that these technologies enable increased productivity, improved quality standards for international markets, enhanced traceability, reduced production costs, and local value addition instead of merely exporting raw materials. The discussion revealed that several African countries including Tunisia, Kenya, Cameroon, and Morocco are already implementing Industry 4.0 programs.

A key challenge identified was the need for awareness-raising among policymakers who sometimes believe their countries must progress through earlier industrial revolutions before adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. Both experts stressed that digital transformation is not optional for Africa’s industrial development and competitiveness. The session concluded with announcements about an upcoming major conference in Morocco focusing on smart manufacturing in Africa, emphasizing the critical importance of building local technological expertise and capacity rather than simply importing advanced machinery.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **UNIDO’s comprehensive approach to Industry 4.0 implementation in Africa**: Rafik Feki outlined UNIDO’s multi-faceted strategy including ecosystem assessment, policy development, human capital preparation, institutional support, and enterprise-level assistance across multiple African countries including Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, and others.

– **Industry 4.0 as a leapfrogging opportunity for developing countries**: Professor Sama Mbang emphasized how advanced digital technologies can help African nations bypass traditional industrial development stages, enabling direct adoption of smart manufacturing, improved quality standards, local value addition, and enhanced global competitiveness.

– **The African Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing (ESMA)**: Discussion of this collaborative initiative designed to create a knowledge-sharing platform across African countries, with key pillars including capacity building, technology transfer, policy support, and industry use cases.

– **Practical implementation challenges and solutions**: Addressing the need for awareness-raising among policymakers, comprehensive ecosystem mapping, digital transformation roadmaps, and the critical importance of developing local technological expertise rather than simply importing solutions.

– **Upcoming conference and collaboration opportunities**: Announcement of the “Next Generation for Smart Manufacturing in Africa” conference in Morocco (September-October), co-organized by UNIDO, ESMA, and international partners, aimed at bringing together African ministers, international experts, and industry stakeholders.

## Overall Purpose:

The discussion aimed to explore how Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing technologies can accelerate structural transformation in African developing countries, presenting concrete initiatives, strategies, and collaborative frameworks to help Africa catch up with and leapfrog traditional industrial development models.

## Overall Tone:

The discussion maintained a consistently optimistic and collaborative tone throughout. Speakers demonstrated enthusiasm for Africa’s potential in Industry 4.0 adoption, while acknowledging realistic challenges. The conversation was professional yet passionate, with participants showing genuine commitment to supporting African industrial transformation. The tone became increasingly energetic when discussing concrete initiatives like ESMA and the upcoming Morocco conference, ending on a strongly motivational note emphasizing urgency and opportunity.

Speakers

– **Adel Ben Youssef**: Professor of economics at the University Côte d’Azur, member of the ESMA think tank, session moderator

– **Rafik Feki**: UNIDO representative for Senegal, Togo, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau; responsible for digital transformation at UNIDO and implementation of the African Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing; previously worked at UNIDO headquarters in Vienna on digital transformation, smart manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 with focus on Africa and Middle East

– **Sama Mbang**: CEO and owner of Digital Transformation Alliance, expert in Industry 4.0 with 25 years of industry experience, professor in Karlsruhe, UNIDO expert for smart manufacturing projects, co-founder of Digital Transformation Alliance supporting Industry 4.0 adoption across Africa

– **Jimson Olufuye**: Principal consultant at Contemporary Consulting Limited based in Abuja, Nigeria; Chair of the advisory council of the Africa-ICT Alliance (private sector organization of ICT associations, companies, and professionals across Africa established in 2012)

– **Participant**: Identified as Amir from Iran (no additional role or expertise mentioned)

**Additional speakers:**

None identified beyond those in the speakers names list.

# Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing: Accelerating Structural Transformation in Developing Countries

## Executive Summary

This discussion, moderated by Professor Adel Ben Youssef from the University Côte d’Azur and member of ESMA, examined how Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing technologies can accelerate structural transformation in developing countries, with particular focus on Africa. The session brought together representatives from UNIDO, private sector experts, and regional stakeholders to discuss implementation strategies, challenges, and opportunities for African industrial development through digital transformation.

## Key Participants

**Rafik Feki** – UNIDO representative for Senegal, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, who recently began his assignment two weeks prior to the discussion. He brings experience from UNIDO headquarters in Vienna working on digital transformation initiatives.

**Professor Sama Mbang** – CEO and owner of Digital Transformation Alliance and UNIDO expert with 25 years of industry experience in “introducing, developing new technologies in the area of industrialization, manufacturing, and also the digital technologies, AI, digital twin.”

**Jimson Olufuye** – Principal consultant at Contemporary Consulting Limited and Chair of the advisory council of the Africa-ICT Alliance, a private sector organization comprising ICT associations, companies, and professionals across Africa. The Alliance was established in 2012 with six country membership and now operates in 43 African countries.

**Amir (Iran)** – A participant who provided perspectives on South-South cooperation and technology transfer challenges.

## UNIDO’s Approach to Industry 4.0 in Africa

Rafik Feki outlined UNIDO’s comprehensive strategy for supporting Industry 4.0 implementation across Africa, emphasizing the urgency of adoption. “Please don’t consider this as a choice,” Feki stated. “If you want to industrialise your country, let’s do it with the appropriate way. There is no time to be lost. Policymakers have to understand that this is the only way and the only short way to industrialise Africa.”

UNIDO’s approach involves:

– Comprehensive ecosystem assessment covering education, vocational training, finance, and regulatory frameworks

– Policy development support for governments

– Human capital preparation and institutional support

– Collaboration with multiple UN agencies including ITU and UNECA

– Partnership with private sector organizations

Feki emphasized that successful implementation requires a fundamental shift in thinking: “Because we are talking about the fourth industrial revolution. It’s not about adopting a technology, it’s about an industrial revolution. It’s about changing our ways of thinking the industry, of planning the industry.”

UNIDO has initiated programmes in several African countries including Tunisia, Kenya, Cameroon, and Morocco, with plans for broader continental expansion.

## The Leapfrogging Opportunity

Professor Sama Mbang highlighted how Industry 4.0 presents unique opportunities for developing countries to bypass traditional industrial development stages. “Instead of replicating traditional industrial models with their limitations, as we know, we can design smarter, cleaner, and more connected industry from the ground up,” Mbang explained.

Key benefits identified include:

– Enhanced productivity and quality standards necessary for international markets

– Improved local value addition by processing raw materials domestically

– Better supply chain integration and compliance with international standards

– Support for economic diversification beyond traditional sectors

However, Mbang stressed a crucial prerequisite: “The most crucial prerequisite is the capacity to truly master the technologies and processes locally. Because it’s not enough to import advanced machinery or software. Countries need to invest in building local knowledge and expertise.”

## Regional Coordination and Challenges

Jimson Olufuye emphasized the importance of coordination among development partners and raised concerns about current collaboration levels. “There is need for stronger collaboration between UN agencies, particularly UNIDO and UNECA, to achieve SDG targets,” he noted, highlighting potential risks of Africa missing the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 targets.

The Iranian participant added a geopolitical dimension, noting that developing countries’ lack of unity weakens their position in technology transfer negotiations: “Sometimes they are not supporting each other in some views they should get from developed country, as like as in getting finance and getting technology transfer… we should have, I should say, more, more, more solidarity and more common view regarding these issues.”

## The ESMA Alliance

The African Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing (ESMA) was presented as a collaborative framework for knowledge-sharing across African countries. Mbang, whose Digital Transformation Alliance supports the initiative, described ESMA as operating on several key pillars including capacity building, technology transfer, policy support, and sharing industry use cases.

The alliance aims to make Industry 4.0 accessible and sustainable for Africa’s diverse economies, recognizing that different countries are at varying stages of industrial development. It serves as a platform for countries to learn from each other’s experiences and coordinate their Industry 4.0 efforts.

## Implementation Challenges

Several key challenges were identified:

**Awareness and Change Management**: Both Feki and Mbang noted the challenge of raising awareness among policymakers who may view their countries as not ready for Industry 4.0 transition.

**Comprehensive Ecosystem Development**: The need for systematic approaches covering education, finance, regulation, and institutional frameworks rather than focusing solely on technology acquisition.

**Local Capacity Building**: The priority of developing local expertise over simply importing advanced equipment.

**Coordination**: The challenge of achieving effective collaboration between different UN agencies and development partners.

## The Morocco Conference

The discussion highlighted an upcoming “Next Generation for Smart Manufacturing in Africa” conference scheduled for the end of September/beginning of October 2024 in Morocco. The event is co-organized by UNIDO, ESMA, the Phosphate company of Morocco (OCP), and Deutsche Messe (German Hannover Fair).

Professor Ben Youssef noted the conference’s significance as a major African smart manufacturing event with international participation, bringing together African ministers, international experts, and industry stakeholders. Organizers committed to ensuring remote participation options for broader African participation.

## Key Takeaways

The discussion revealed strong agreement among participants that:

1. **Industry 4.0 adoption is essential, not optional** for African countries to remain competitive and achieve meaningful industrialization

2. **Comprehensive approaches are necessary**, covering policies, human capital, institutions, and technology transfer rather than narrow technology-focused strategies

3. **Local capacity building is prioritized** over simply importing technology

4. **Multi-stakeholder collaboration is crucial** for successful implementation

5. **Regional cooperation mechanisms** like ESMA are important for sharing costs, risks, and benefits

## Conclusion

The discussion demonstrated alignment among diverse stakeholders about the importance of Industry 4.0 for African development. While challenges remain around coordination, financing, and capacity building, the collaborative frameworks being developed through initiatives like ESMA and events like the Morocco conference provide promising foundations for coordinated action. The emphasis on local capacity building and comprehensive ecosystem development reflects a sophisticated understanding of sustainable development principles that prioritizes long-term competitiveness over short-term technology acquisition.

Adel Ben Youssef: And welcome to this session. The session is co-organized by ESMA, Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing in Africa, UNIDO, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the DTA, Digital Transformation Alliance. So the session, we’ll try to challenge the theme of how we can accelerate the structural transformation, especially in developing country, but especially in Africa. And we think that these advanced technology, advanced information technologies, this industry 4.0 revolution, can help Africa and can help developing country to catch up and to leapfrog. And for this, I’m very happy to have my dear friends and experts with me today. Mr. Rafik Fkhie, he is a UNIDO representative nowadays in Senegal, Togo, and Mauritania, and Capo Verde. He is covering the entire region, and he is responsible also of this digital transformation at UNIDO, where he was in charge in the implementation of this alliance, the African Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing. I will let Mr. Rafik by himself present himself, and my dear friend Professor Saman Bang, who is CEO and owner of… the Digital Transformation Alliance, but expert for the UNIDO for several projects about smart manufacturing and also professor in Karlsruhe. So let me start by asking you just the first question is to present yourself and how you are in touch with this industry 4.0 and these smart technologies. Sirafic, can you present yourself a little bit for our audience online

Rafik Feki: and offline? Thank you. Thank you, Professor Adel. Thank you for the invitation and good morning to all the participants. It’s a pleasure to be with you for this very important session. My name is Rafik Feki. I am currently UNIDO representative for Senegal, Cappadocia, Mauritania, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. I just started my assignment two weeks ago, but for many, many years I was working in UNIDO headquarters in Vienna dealing with different topics related to digital transformation, smart manufacturing, industry 4.0 with a special focus on Africa and the Middle East. UNIDO is the specialized United Nations agency dealing with industrial development and with a special focus on the SDG9. SDG9 is the SDG dealing with industrial development, sustainable industrial development and infrastructure. And within my interventions, I will explain to you what UNIDO was doing. the last few years to promote smart manufacturing around the world, especially in the development countries. Thank you again and wishing you a very interesting discussion. Thank you.

Sama Mbang: Thank you very much Sirafiq. Let me go to Professor Samah to present yourself and how you are in touch with these technologies. Yeah, hello everyone. Thank you very much for this important session as well. So my name is Samah Mbah. I’m in my role an expert in Industry 4.0, having been working in industry for 25 years now, introducing, developing new technologies in the area of industrialization, manufacturing, and also the digital technologies, AI, digital twin. And based on this experience, I co-founded the association Digital Transformation Alliance with the mission to support Industry 4.0 adoption across Africa and other developing regions. So we work with governments, businesses, training institutions, and development partners to design strategies, to build skills, and more important, to implement practical projects such as smart factories, such as innovation labs, and digital skill programs. So my personal goal is to help local industries modernize, increase competitiveness, be part of this global challenge to support also the global prosperity. So I’m very happy to attend and then to share more insights.

Adel Ben Youssef: Thank you very much, Professor Sama. My name is Adel Ben Youssef. I’m a professor of economics at the University Côte d’Azur and I’m a member of the ESMA think tank. Let me start by first question to Serafik. Industry 4.0, digitalization are becoming hot topics for Africa and in Africa, and several countries are trying to implement industry 4.0 programs. I know at least Tunisia, Kenya, Cameroon, Morocco, among others. So what is the role of UNIDO and how you are helping these countries?

Rafik Feki: Thank you, Professor Adel. Yes, indeed, there is an increasing interest and motivation from different African countries to adopt smart manufacturing, industry 4.0 technologies. And we are seeing this with a very increasing path and this is bringing a lot of satisfaction for UNIDO because no one now is questioning the importance of the adoption of digital technologies for industry and how it become a pillar for industrial development. And in most of African countries in the recent few years, industry became the main interest of development of the countries and the policymakers in Africa understood very well that adoption of technologies and digital technologies is the only way to be able to reach out and overcome the gap that is existing currently. So we received several requests from different countries. And how you need with addressing those requests, we try usually to come up with a quite comprehensive package and technical assistance. Starting by assessing the existing ecosystem, because if you want to adopt such approach, you have to go with a comprehensive approach. You have to understand how the ecosystem would be ready to adopt those technologies, to support SMEs, to introduce the required changes, and very critical to implement what we call change management. Because if you don’t change the minds at all the levels, it’s extremely difficult to call for such change. Because we are talking about the fourth industrial revolution. It’s not about adopting a technology, it’s about an industrial revolution. It’s about changing our ways of thinking the industry, of planning the industry. So the first element would be to look at the existing ecosystem, then come up with the needed changes in terms of policies, in terms of regulation, because these might apply a lot of changes on the regulation, when you talk about information security, when we talk about access to some platforms, etc. there is a lot of work to be done about repairing the human capital. Because advanced technologies, AI, IoT, 3D printing, etc. would require that the human capital is ready to go with the same path. You can bring the technologies, but if you don’t have the technicians and the engineers on the ground, it will be extremely difficult to succeed in such a process. Then, you need as well to come up with the institutions that will be able to support this transformation. And here, for example, Professor Sama is working with UNIDO and Professor Adel as well, and some other experts in implementing what we call smart factories. In Morocco, in Tunisia, we got some requests from other countries, like South Africa. Only yesterday I was in a meeting with a minister here in Senegal, and he as well expressed the same request that we consider this entity as a pivotal entity to facilitate this transformation. Then, there is a lot of work to be done at the enterprise level. And here, we are talking about the support that we are bringing for those enterprises to acquire the technologies, to acquire the know-how, and to link them to… to some other network and some other companies so they can exchange experience, they can learn, and they can build together a new way of designing their production, selling their products, et cetera. So those are the different elements that you need to be trying to build. Of course, beyond the country level interventions, we are trying as well to come up with some comprehensive initiatives. You need to be co-organizing with the Swiss Smart Factory every year, the International Smart Manufacturing Summit, where we are bringing all the countries to come and exchange experiences and knowledge about smart manufacturing. I think we are talking as well about ESMA, the African, the Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing in Africa, where you both, Professor Shama and Dr. Adel, are part of it. So that’s an initiative supported as well by UNIDO. And those are just examples for what we are trying to bring to our member states to promote Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing. Thank you.

Adel Ben Youssef: Thank you so much, Sirafiq. I remind that Sirafiq is in charge of several countries, including Senegal, Togo, Mauritania, Capo Verde, and Gambia for UNIDO. He’s a representative of UNIDO there and he’s responsible also for smart manufacturing in Africa. Let me move to Professor Sama and I would like to welcome the attendees, the last ones to this session. Professor Sama is… on the ground, already consultant in two big projects in Africa, in Tunisia and Morocco, implementing this smart manufacturing. So, Professor Sama, what are the real opportunities? We are seeing that there are opportunities, and you are on the ground. So, let me discuss these opportunities. You are muted. Unmute yourself, please.

Sama Mbang: Yeah, exactly. Thank you very much for this also important question. I mean, we talk a lot about Industry 4.0, of course, that we can leapfrog all the steps. But as Sarah Frick said, Industry 4.0 represents a transformative opportunity for developing countries. Because it’s about reimagining, to reimagine, let’s say, the economy in the 21st century. Of course, it allows us to leapfrog outdated and inefficient production systems by adopting these advanced digital and sustainable technologies. Instead of replicating traditional industrial models with their limitations, as we know, we can design smarter, cleaner, and more connected industry from the ground. For businesses, this means, of course, increased productivity through automation and data-driven decision-making, very key. It improves also quality and consistency. If you want to export your products, you have to demonstrate that you respect all of the quality rules and processes. And it enables developing countries to meet international standards. That is very important to access new markets or global markets. Because one of the key limitations in developing countries is that their products, semi-finished or finished, are not always at the level of the international standards. Industry 4.0 helps, therefore, to enhance traceability and transparency, which is crucial, as we said, if they want to export with compliance in a global value chain. And, of course, Industry 4.0, with these technologies, helps developing countries and businesses to reduce production costs over time by optimising also topics such as energy and waste. For the entire economy, if we speak about the regions, it creates the possibility of local value addition. Instead of exporting only raw materials and importing finished goods, countries can process and manufacture more locally. It can be the first step or the second step, and then export for the first step, it depends. But we can have more local value addition, retaining in this way greater economic value and creating skilled employment opportunities. And, on the other hand, it also strengthens supply chain resilience, which became an urgent priority after recent disruptions we faced with COVID and so on. By adopting digital tools for logistics, for example, and inventory management, businesses can better respond to market changes and reduce dependence on imports. Moreover, Industry 4.0 supports economic diversification. as well, helping countries move beyond commodity dependence into manufacturing, technology, services, and even digital exports. It can also play a role of smart urban development, supporting better infrastructure planning, resource management, and service delivery, for example, through smart city solutions. So in short, as we heard also before for Mr. Rafik, Industry 4.0 is not just about technology. It’s about structural transformation. It’s an opportunity to build more inclusive, sustainable, and competitive economies that create jobs, strengthen sovereignty as well, and improve the quality of life of people.

Adel Ben Youssef: Thank you so much, Professor Sama. Before going further in the discussion and to deep dive on this, I would like to ask the attendees if you have any question of clarification, if you want to ask anything about what happened. So let it be more interactive, and then we move to the other questions. Please.

Jimson Olufuye: Thank you, Prof. Thank you very much for the presentation. My name is Jim Sindu Lufuye. I’m the principal consultant at Contemporary Consulting Limited based in Abuja, Nigeria. And I’m also the chair of the advisory council of the Africa-ICT Alliance, a private sector concern that is made up of ICT associations, companies, and other professionals across Africa. We established in 2012 with six country membership, and now we’re in 43 African countries. And we’re projecting by 2030, we can cover the rest of Africa. So I want to comment. proof for the efforts you made in the smart manufacturing setup you did, which is very important. And also to ask this question to Mr. Serafik of UNEDO. Yes, I’m really impressed with what I heard UNEDO is focused on doing, but it’s only UNECA that we have been seeing more and has reached out to us to work more with us with regard to development across Africa. And Industry 4.0 is very critical, so important. So are you in collaboration with UNECA? Are you working together to help African countries to leapfrog in this Industry 4.0? And then also to note that we are targeting Sustainable Development Goals 2030. We’re in WSIS. WSIS is about using WSIS Action Line targets to achieve SDG. So how can we achieve this SDG in Africa? We missed Millennial Development Goals. Will we still miss Sustainable Development Goals? Those are the two questions.

Adel Ben Youssef: Thank you so much, and let’s be interactive. So you can address these questions, and then we can go further on my questions after. Serafik?

Rafik Feki: Yeah, thank you very much for the question. Of course, we are collaborating with several partners from UN like ITU. There are several initiatives. Maybe you have already the chance to collaborate with UNECA, but for example, we are collaborating with ITU. You know that ITU have has established a few years ago an alliance for innovation as well and UNIDO is part of this alliance. We’re collaborating with the private sector. We did as well have a small collaboration with UNICA to run some awareness sessions in some regions. You know that UNICA is working on a regional basis. For the consultancy in Africa, we are in touch with the African chapter of the World Association of Engineering. Maybe this will be discussed later. The ESMA alliance that I mentioned so far earlier is going to organize its first conference in almost two months. Ten weeks in Morocco. So that’s a call as well for all the participants to join this conference where we are bringing all our partners from the international and African community. We are talking with AUDANIPAD. So we are collaborating with several partners to promote Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing. You know digital transformation is covering different angles. So we are really targeting the smart manufacturing, the industrial angle in view of our specialized mandate while some other UN agencies are dealing with the digital transformation from different topics and different angles. So again, I think everybody will have a specific role to play in this area and all what is done by UNICA, by UNDP, by FAO, by all the UN and non-UN

Adel Ben Youssef: partners is contributing to achieving the SDGs. Thank you so much Serafik. Perhaps Sama, interacting? You are in mute Sama. Unmute yourself. Sorry, yes. Yeah, I think

Sama Mbang: as Serafik said, especially in this ISMA group we’ll talk about, this is a very good opportunity to connect different key stakeholders and actors in driving common efforts in this N2C 4.0 adoption. So that, as he said, less staying in touch and then especially during the next conference in Morocco in September, it will be a great opportunity at least for Africa to see exactly what are the key stakeholders and how to build a resilient, let’s say, ecosystem. And of course, this will also be a very good opportunity to connect with other developing countries or regions.

Adel Ben Youssef: Thank you so much, Sama, Professor Sama. Let me move to Serafik. You are helping countries, we know that the digital technologies and this industry, smart industry, need regulation policies and in order to take advantage of this technology. So what are you doing in matter of policies, regulation, standards? like this with the UNIDO in order to help the countries? And let me say, what is the agenda for UNIDO in Africa for the next years, if you have some announcement to make here? Given the timing, I would like that short answer in order to be interactive with the president at the end.

Rafik Feki: Thank you. Thank you for the question. I think that’s a big, let me be frank, that’s a big challenge because talking to some ministers, some policymakers in some countries in Africa, sometimes, I mentioned some countries where this element is brought to the priority, the higher priority level. But in some other countries, when you talk about smart manufacturing and transformation, the answer would be that our industry is still maybe at the stage of the second or the third industrial revolution, how we want to bring them to the fourth industrial revolution. So, there is a lot of work to be done on awareness raising. And my point is usually, please don’t consider this as a choice. If you want to industrialize your country, let’s do it with the appropriate way. There is no time to be lost. Policymakers have to understand that this is the only way and the only short way to industrialize Africa. And that’s why we are doing a lot of awareness raising efforts and change management element to bring this dimension and to clarify how important is and this intelligent technologies and digital technologies for industry. The second element is we are trying as well to work on assessing the different ecosystems when we talk about assessing and mapping ecosystems and considering the complexity of this element, we try usually to look at this from several dimensions, not only from the current situation of industry and technology adoption, it goes to looking at the education system, the national education system, it goes as well to understand the vocational training system, it goes to look at the financial element because it’s critical to ensure access to finance to those technologies, the regulation and all the incentive, the existing incentive schemes, so the mapping is an essential element that help us and this is the third element to develop what we call the digital transformation roadmap and this defines the main milestones that need to be implemented on a country level or on a regional level to understand and to adopt those technologies. So that’s in short, the policy level intervention that we are trying to… promote within our interventions. Our plans is to duplicate and replicate this intervention to the maximum number of African countries in the five next years. And this is the idea behind establishing ESMA is really to establish a platform that would help to create a benchmark and motivate all the countries to come together and move together for the ones which didn’t start this process yet. And ESMA, the philosophy behind ESMA was let’s develop a think tank that would enable the countries that didn’t make start any action to learn from the others and then we can bring this change to the maximum number of countries and that’s why when we thought about ESMA we said let’s do it in partnership with the African Union and with some other continental operators like the African Development Bank and others and that would be our comprehensive answer to tackle this element. Thank you.

Adel Ben Youssef: Thank you so much, Sir Rafiq. Sama, ESMA was mentioned by Sir Rafiq, so what are you doing and how you are helping the countries and let me talk a little bit about and how to join because we have people in the room and how to interact with ESMA.

Sama Mbang: Thank you very much, but you can hear me, right? It’s okay. It’s okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Thank you very much to allow me to talk about ISMA. So ISMA, first of all, stands for the African Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing for Africa. It’s an initiative designed to support Industry 4.0 and more consistently is about implementing smart manufacturing in Africa. As you know that for a lot of people, a lot of countries in regions, let’s say the economic or commercial balance is negative. They import more than they export because there is no real, let’s say, local value addition. And the local value addition comes from a productive ecosystem from industries and at least from manufacturing. That’s why we think that manufacturing and completely smart manufacturing, meaning that using advanced digital solutions will help developing countries increase their production capacity to be able to be in the, let’s say, in the global ecosystem and the global market. Concretely, the role is then to build a collaborative ecosystem where best practices, experiences and resources are shared. among countries and industries. ASMA has defined key pillars that includes capacity building, that means training programs to develop, let’s say, skills professionals in N2C 4.0, technologies and processes, including also technology transfer and localization, because it’s about adapting these advanced technologies to local needs and context. These pillars include also policy support and partnership development. So concretely, we have the pillar of industry use cases, where we discuss together what are the key industry use cases, country by country or region by region, that are very important. And then the second pillar is about technologies, where we develop technologies, where we talk about how to master these technologies, how to adapt these technologies to local needs. The third pillar is about training, as already said, it’s about, let’s say, creating advanced training environment to allow regions, businesses to get, let’s say, first knowledge, also remotely using techniques like virtual reality or augmented reality. And then also very important, pillar regarding policy supports to help government design strategies, incentives and regulations that enable smart manufacturing. So the aim is to make industry 4.0, and as we said, more smart manufacturing, accessible, relevant and sustainable for Africa’s diverse economies.

Adel Ben Youssef: Thank you so much, Professor Sama. Thank you so much, Professor Rafiq. Let me interact with the room if someone wants to pose a question or to interact. Any remark and a question request, please go ahead.

Participant: Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Is your name? I’m Amir from Iran. Thank you. Thank you so much for this convening, this I should say side event. And thank you for our panelists for giving the insight regarding development. Development is a real issue for, you know, developing countries, and it has been discussed in many forums. But unfortunately, what I have seen in my experience in involving in the, I should say, United Nations forums, mostly in any forums that there was developing country as developed country, both of them, what I have seen, unfortunately, is that the view of the developing country in some cases is not the same. And sometimes they are not supporting each other in some views they should get from developed country, as like as in getting finance and getting technology transfer. They are the important issue we are trying to put in the document in United Nations system. And we should have, I should say, more, more, more solidarity and more common view regarding these issues, especially in the field of technology transfer, and also in the financial mechanism that we should ask from developed countries who they are mostly use, I should say, the resources from developing countries to develop earlier than us. Is the case for the, sorry to interrupt, for the smart manufacturing? for this kind of technology, really? Yeah, I should say, I’m talking in general, general developing issues. So I would urge everybody to be supportive in this field. Thank

Adel Ben Youssef: you. Thank you. So the point is well noted to support for this initiative for technology transfer and for the financial mechanism. So any other questions? Yeah, please. Yes, this event coming up in September, I think is an important event. Would that be remote participation? Because you know, Africa is diverse and you want to get more people to be there. You need to make provision for virtual participation. Professor Sama, if you want to, are we going to make some session remotely or can we have the access remotely to the conference in Morocco? It will be, of course, one of the biggest conference and the first about smart manufacturing. Are we planning to do so? In all cases, we are going to, we are in the organizing committee. So we will try to ensure that at least participation remotely can be ensured. Other comments, questions? Otherwise, I will, please, feel free if you want. No. So the last comment or two minutes, the last minute for the last minute for yourself, Sama. Message, key message from this session to the audience.

Rafik Feki: Yeah, yeah. Thank you, Professor. Yeah, maybe 30 minutes to, 30 seconds, not minutes. Sorry, 30 seconds. Yes. For the conference in Morocco, that would be. It’s called Next Generation for Smart Manufacturing in Africa. We are inviting all the operators around the world to share experience, like Hannover Fair, Hannover Messe, inside the owner of Siri, and all our partners, Swiss Smart Factory, and some people from Malaysia, Singapore. So we are trying, really, to bring the best experiences to share them with Africa. Of course, we are inviting all the ministers of industry and digital transformation from African countries. It’s co-organized with the Fosfate company of Morocco, OCP, and the Deutsche Messe, the German Hannover Fair. And it’s taking place end of September, beginning of October. Yes, all the logistics will be taken as well to consider online participation. So we are going to announce and to promote, we are finalizing the last touches, and we are going to promote the details about the conference and the agenda. ESMA is, of course, a co-organizer, as UNIDO initiative, with all its experts. And I think that would be a very, very important event for smart manufacturing for Africa. The last word, again, digital transformation and smart manufacturing is not a choice for Africa. We have to play the game. We have to adopt the approach, and we have to take it as seriously as we can. as fast as we can every day is bringing a new change. We are watching all what is happening now in terms of competition, for instance, for AI and other technologies between the different developed countries. So we should not stay on the side and watch what is going around. We should be part of this change. We should be part of this game as African member states. And UNIDO and a lot of partners are available and are here to support this process. So UNIDO will continue with its network and partners and experts like the two experts we are having today to support member states. And we will bring our part of the change and we stay very optimistic vis-a-vis these existing challenges. Thank you very much for your attendance.

Adel Ben Youssef: Thank you, Seraphic. Last minute, last comment, Sama.

Sama Mbang: Well, thank you very much. Very, very short. And I would like to point one thing is about prerequisites. You know, we always talk about prerequisite like we need a digital infrastructure, we need policies and so on. These are very important. But for me, the most crucial prerequisite is the capacity to truly master the technologies and processes locally. Because it’s not enough to import advanced machinery or software. Countries need to invest in building local knowledge and expertise. And this requires creating strong training environment, best practices. like smart manufacturing schools or labs, as we are working together in Morocco, Tunisia, and so on, are very key to embrace this change, as they connect all the stakeholders to drive in the same direction. So this is what I wanted to point out. This is one of the key points, because digital infrastructure needs technology. So if you don’t master these technologies, you will always import this knowledge in all other prerequisites you will put in place. And EIZMA is ready to support this structural transformation as we talked about. Thank you.

Adel Ben Youssef: Thank you so much, both the two, Serafik, Professor Sama, for your comment, insight, and for sharing this knowledge and recommendations. Yeah, definitely we need cooperation with other country. We need to adopt technology. And technology nowadays is diverse. And we need really intra-cooperation in Africa more. And we need to involve all the people, especially in our conference, next conference. And it’s a start of something. This talk is just a start. It’s just to open some venues. And let we see the future, how we can build it together. So thank you very much. And I will close this session today. And hopefully, we’ll organize many others in the future. Bye, and take care. Thank you. Bye. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. You Recording stopped Recording resumed Recording resumed Recording resumed Recording resumed Recording resumed

Agreement points

Industry 4.0 is essential and not optional for African development

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

Industry 4.0 adoption is not optional but necessary for Africa to remain competitive in the global economy

Industry 4.0 allows developing countries to leapfrog outdated production systems and adopt advanced digital technologies from the ground up

Summary

Both speakers strongly emphasize that Industry 4.0 is not a choice but a necessity for African countries to remain competitive and achieve meaningful development. They agree that this represents the only viable path forward for industrialization in Africa.

Topics

Development | Economic

Comprehensive ecosystem approach is required for successful Industry 4.0 implementation

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

UNIDO provides comprehensive technical assistance including ecosystem assessment, policy development, human capital preparation, and institutional support

The alliance focuses on four key pillars: capacity building, technology transfer, policy support, and industry use cases

Summary

Both speakers agree that successful Industry 4.0 implementation requires a holistic approach covering multiple dimensions including policies, human capital, institutions, and technology transfer rather than focusing on technology alone.

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory

Local value addition is crucial for economic transformation

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

UNIDO provides comprehensive technical assistance including ecosystem assessment, policy development, human capital preparation, and institutional support

Smart manufacturing enables local value addition, reducing dependence on raw material exports and creating skilled employment

Summary

Both speakers emphasize the importance of moving beyond raw material exports to local processing and manufacturing, which creates more economic value and skilled employment opportunities within African countries.

Topics

Economic | Development

Multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential for success

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang
– Jimson Olufuye
– Adel Ben Youssef

Arguments

UNIDO collaborates with multiple UN agencies like ITU and UNECA, plus private sector partners to promote smart manufacturing

ESMA serves as a collaborative platform for sharing best practices and resources among African countries

There is need for stronger collaboration between UN agencies, particularly UNIDO and UNECA, to achieve SDG targets

Strong partnerships between governments, businesses, training institutions, and development partners are vital

Summary

All speakers agree that successful Industry 4.0 implementation requires collaboration across multiple stakeholders including UN agencies, governments, private sector, and development partners.

Topics

Development | Economic

Capacity building and local expertise development are fundamental

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

Comprehensive ecosystem mapping is essential, covering education, vocational training, finance, and regulatory frameworks

The most crucial prerequisite is building local capacity to master technologies and processes, not just importing equipment

Summary

Both speakers emphasize that building local capacity and expertise is more important than simply importing technology, requiring investment in education, training, and knowledge development.

Topics

Development | Infrastructure

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers view ESMA and similar platforms as crucial mechanisms for knowledge sharing and regional cooperation, enabling African countries to learn from each other and coordinate their Industry 4.0 efforts.

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

UNIDO organizes international events like the Smart Manufacturing Summit and supports regional initiatives like ESMA

ESMA serves as a collaborative platform for sharing best practices and resources among African countries

Topics

Development | Economic

Both speakers advocate for structured, systematic approaches to Industry 4.0 implementation with clear frameworks, milestones, and organized pillars rather than ad-hoc technology adoption.

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

Digital transformation roadmaps with clear milestones are necessary for country-level implementation

The alliance focuses on four key pillars: capacity building, technology transfer, policy support, and industry use cases

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

Both speakers recognize that Industry 4.0 is essential for meeting international standards and global competitiveness, while acknowledging the challenge of convincing policymakers who may feel their countries aren’t ready.

Speakers

– Sama Mbang
– Rafik Feki

Arguments

Digital technologies improve product quality, traceability, and compliance with international standards for global market access

Major challenge exists in raising awareness among policymakers who may view their industries as not ready for Industry 4.0

Topics

Economic | Legal and regulatory

Unexpected consensus

Urgency of Industry 4.0 adoption despite perceived readiness gaps

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

Major challenge exists in raising awareness among policymakers who may view their industries as not ready for Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 allows developing countries to leapfrog outdated production systems and adopt advanced digital technologies from the ground up

Explanation

Despite acknowledging that many African countries may feel their industries are still at earlier industrial revolution stages, both speakers unexpectedly agree that this should not delay Industry 4.0 adoption. Instead, they advocate for leapfrogging directly to advanced technologies, which represents a bold consensus on bypassing traditional industrial development stages.

Topics

Development | Economic

Technology mastery over technology acquisition

Speakers

– Sama Mbang
– Rafik Feki

Arguments

The most crucial prerequisite is building local capacity to master technologies and processes, not just importing equipment

UNIDO provides comprehensive technical assistance including ecosystem assessment, policy development, human capital preparation, and institutional support

Explanation

There is unexpected consensus that the focus should be on mastering and adapting technologies locally rather than simply acquiring advanced equipment. This represents a sophisticated understanding that goes beyond the common assumption that importing technology is sufficient for development.

Topics

Development | Infrastructure

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrate remarkably high consensus across all major aspects of Industry 4.0 implementation in Africa, including its necessity, comprehensive implementation approaches, the importance of local capacity building, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and regional cooperation through platforms like ESMA.

Consensus level

Very high consensus with strong alignment on strategic approaches and priorities. This high level of agreement among international development experts, regional representatives, and private sector stakeholders suggests a mature understanding of Industry 4.0 challenges and opportunities in Africa. The consensus implies strong potential for coordinated action and successful implementation of Industry 4.0 initiatives across the continent, particularly through the collaborative frameworks being established.

Different viewpoints

Prerequisites for Industry 4.0 implementation

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

Comprehensive ecosystem mapping is essential, covering education, vocational training, finance, and regulatory frameworks

The most crucial prerequisite is building local capacity to master technologies and processes, not just importing equipment

Summary

Rafik Feki emphasizes a comprehensive approach covering multiple systemic elements (education, finance, regulation), while Sama Mbang prioritizes local capacity building and technology mastery as the most crucial prerequisite above other infrastructure elements

Topics

Development | Infrastructure | Legal and regulatory

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion showed remarkable consensus among speakers on the importance and urgency of Industry 4.0 adoption for Africa, with only minor disagreements on implementation priorities and collaboration approaches

Disagreement level

Very low level of disagreement. The speakers were largely aligned on goals and strategies, with differences mainly in emphasis rather than fundamental opposition. The main disagreement was on whether comprehensive ecosystem mapping or local capacity building should be prioritized as the most crucial prerequisite. This low level of disagreement suggests strong consensus in the development community about Industry 4.0’s importance for Africa, which could facilitate coordinated implementation efforts.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers view ESMA and similar platforms as crucial mechanisms for knowledge sharing and regional cooperation, enabling African countries to learn from each other and coordinate their Industry 4.0 efforts.

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

UNIDO organizes international events like the Smart Manufacturing Summit and supports regional initiatives like ESMA

ESMA serves as a collaborative platform for sharing best practices and resources among African countries

Topics

Development | Economic

Both speakers advocate for structured, systematic approaches to Industry 4.0 implementation with clear frameworks, milestones, and organized pillars rather than ad-hoc technology adoption.

Speakers

– Rafik Feki
– Sama Mbang

Arguments

Digital transformation roadmaps with clear milestones are necessary for country-level implementation

The alliance focuses on four key pillars: capacity building, technology transfer, policy support, and industry use cases

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

Both speakers recognize that Industry 4.0 is essential for meeting international standards and global competitiveness, while acknowledging the challenge of convincing policymakers who may feel their countries aren’t ready.

Speakers

– Sama Mbang
– Rafik Feki

Arguments

Digital technologies improve product quality, traceability, and compliance with international standards for global market access

Major challenge exists in raising awareness among policymakers who may view their industries as not ready for Industry 4.0

Topics

Economic | Legal and regulatory

Key takeaways

Industry 4.0 adoption is essential, not optional, for Africa to achieve structural transformation and remain globally competitive

UNIDO provides comprehensive support through ecosystem assessment, policy development, human capital preparation, and institutional frameworks

Local capacity building and technology mastery are more critical than just importing advanced equipment or software

Industry 4.0 enables developing countries to leapfrog traditional industrial stages and build smarter, cleaner production systems from the ground up

The ESMA Alliance serves as a collaborative platform for African countries to share best practices and coordinate Industry 4.0 implementation

Smart manufacturing can enable local value addition, reduce raw material export dependence, and improve compliance with international standards

Comprehensive ecosystem mapping covering education, finance, regulation, and vocational training is essential for successful implementation

Strong partnerships between governments, businesses, training institutions, and development partners are vital for success

Resolutions and action items

UNIDO will continue expanding Industry 4.0 interventions to maximum number of African countries over the next five years

The first major African smart manufacturing conference will be held in Morocco in late September/early October 2024

Conference organizers will ensure remote participation options are available for broader African participation

ESMA will organize its first conference in Morocco with international partners including Hannover Fair and Swiss Smart Factory

UNIDO will continue promoting awareness and change management efforts among African policymakers

Development of digital transformation roadmaps with clear milestones for country-level implementation will continue

Unresolved issues

How to achieve stronger collaboration and coordination between different UN agencies (UNIDO, UNECA, ITU, etc.) for more effective SDG achievement

Addressing the challenge of policymakers who believe their countries are not ready for Industry 4.0 transition

Securing adequate financial mechanisms and technology transfer support from developed countries

Ensuring developing countries maintain solidarity and common positions in international forums on technology transfer

Bridging the gap between countries at different stages of industrial development within Africa

Specific details and logistics for the upcoming Morocco conference were not fully finalized

Suggested compromises

None identified

Please don’t consider this as a choice. If you want to industrialize your country, let’s do it with the appropriate way. There is no time to be lost. Policymakers have to understand that this is the only way and the only short way to industrialize Africa.

Speaker

Rafik Feki

Reason

This comment reframes Industry 4.0 from an optional upgrade to an existential necessity for African industrialization. It challenges the common assumption that countries must progress sequentially through industrial revolutions and introduces urgency to the discussion.

Impact

This shifted the conversation from discussing ‘how’ to implement Industry 4.0 to ‘why’ it’s unavoidable. It elevated the stakes and provided a compelling rationale that influenced subsequent discussions about policy priorities and resource allocation.

Instead of replicating traditional industrial models with their limitations, as we know, we can design smarter, cleaner, and more connected industry from the ground… Industry 4.0 helps developing countries to enhance traceability and transparency, which is crucial, as we said, if they want to export with compliance in a global value chain.

Speaker

Sama Mbang

Reason

This comment introduces the concept of ‘leapfrogging’ as a strategic advantage rather than just catching up. It connects local industrial development to global market access through quality standards and traceability, showing how Industry 4.0 solves multiple challenges simultaneously.

Impact

This deepened the discussion by linking technological adoption to economic competitiveness and export potential. It moved the conversation beyond internal benefits to external market opportunities, influencing how participants viewed the global implications of local industrial transformation.

Because we are talking about the fourth industrial revolution. It’s not about adopting a technology, it’s about an industrial revolution. It’s about changing our ways of thinking the industry, of planning the industry.

Speaker

Rafik Feki

Reason

This comment fundamentally redefines the scope of the challenge from technical implementation to paradigmatic transformation. It emphasizes that success requires mental model shifts, not just technological upgrades.

Impact

This comment broadened the discussion to include change management, human capital development, and institutional transformation. It influenced subsequent discussions about comprehensive ecosystem approaches and the importance of mindset changes at all levels.

The most crucial prerequisite is the capacity to truly master the technologies and processes locally. Because it’s not enough to import advanced machinery or software. Countries need to invest in building local knowledge and expertise.

Speaker

Sama Mbang

Reason

This challenges the common approach of technology transfer through equipment imports and emphasizes knowledge sovereignty. It identifies a critical gap between having technology and mastering it, introducing the concept of technological dependency vs. technological autonomy.

Impact

This comment redirected the final discussion toward capacity building and local expertise development as the foundation for sustainable Industry 4.0 adoption. It influenced the emphasis on training programs and smart manufacturing labs as essential infrastructure.

Sometimes they are not supporting each other in some views they should get from developed country, as like as in getting finance and getting technology transfer… we should have, I should say, more, more, more solidarity and more common view regarding these issues.

Speaker

Amir (participant from Iran)

Reason

This comment introduces a critical geopolitical dimension often overlooked in technical discussions. It highlights how developing countries’ lack of unity weakens their negotiating position for technology transfer and financing, adding a strategic cooperation element to the conversation.

Impact

This intervention broadened the scope to include international relations and South-South cooperation strategies. It influenced the discussion toward collective bargaining power and solidarity among developing nations as prerequisites for successful Industry 4.0 adoption.

Overall assessment

These key comments fundamentally elevated the discussion from a technical implementation conversation to a strategic transformation dialogue. Rafik Feki’s urgency framing and paradigm shift emphasis established Industry 4.0 as an existential imperative rather than an optional upgrade. Sama Mbang’s leapfrogging concept and local mastery emphasis provided both the strategic rationale and the practical foundation for sustainable adoption. The Iranian participant’s solidarity comment added crucial geopolitical context often missing from technical discussions. Together, these comments created a multi-dimensional framework encompassing technological, economic, political, and social transformation aspects. The discussion evolved from ‘what is Industry 4.0’ to ‘why it’s unavoidable’ to ‘how to achieve technological sovereignty’ to ‘how developing countries can cooperate strategically.’ This progression created a comprehensive understanding that influenced the session’s conclusion emphasizing cooperation, local capacity building, and the upcoming Morocco conference as a platform for collective action.

How can UNIDO better collaborate with UNECA and other UN agencies to avoid duplication and maximize impact in Industry 4.0 initiatives across Africa?

Speaker

Jimson Olufuye

Explanation

This addresses the need for better coordination among UN agencies working on digital transformation and Industry 4.0 in Africa to ensure comprehensive coverage and avoid overlapping efforts.

Will Africa miss the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 targets like it did with the Millennium Development Goals, and how can Industry 4.0 help achieve these targets?

Speaker

Jimson Olufuye

Explanation

This raises concerns about Africa’s track record in meeting international development goals and seeks to understand how Industry 4.0 can be leveraged to ensure SDG achievement by 2030.

How can developing countries achieve better solidarity and common positions on technology transfer and financial mechanisms from developed countries?

Speaker

Amir from Iran

Explanation

This addresses the challenge of developing countries not always supporting each other in negotiations with developed countries for technology transfer and financing, which is crucial for smart manufacturing adoption.

What are the specific details, agenda, and logistics for remote participation in the upcoming Next Generation Smart Manufacturing conference in Morocco?

Speaker

Unnamed participant

Explanation

This seeks practical information about accessing the important upcoming conference, recognizing that virtual participation is needed to ensure broader African participation given the continent’s diversity and travel constraints.

How can countries build local capacity to truly master Industry 4.0 technologies and processes rather than just importing them?

Speaker

Sama Mbang

Explanation

This addresses the critical need for developing local expertise and knowledge rather than remaining dependent on imported technology and external expertise, which is essential for sustainable Industry 4.0 adoption.

What specific financial mechanisms and incentive schemes are most effective for supporting SMEs in adopting Industry 4.0 technologies?

Speaker

Implied from Rafik Feki’s discussion

Explanation

While mentioned as important, the specific details of how to ensure access to finance for Industry 4.0 adoption by SMEs was not fully explored and requires further research.

How can the assessment and mapping of national ecosystems for Industry 4.0 readiness be standardized across African countries?

Speaker

Implied from Rafik Feki’s discussion

Explanation

The complexity of assessing readiness across multiple dimensions (education, vocational training, finance, regulation) suggests need for standardized methodologies that can be applied consistently across different African contexts.