AI Hub for Sustainable Development promotes AI-driven industrial growth at B7 Forum in France

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The AI Hub for Sustainable Development has highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in driving sustainable industrial growth and strengthening private sector development during discussions at the Business 7 (B7) forum held alongside this year’s G7 meetings in France.

The discussions featured Dr. Eva Spina, Chair of the Executive Steering Group of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development and representative of Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, who emphasized the importance of leveraging AI to support scalable and sustainable economic transformation.

AI Hub for Sustainable Development said the initiative is focused on building partnerships with African countries to strengthen the foundations needed to scale digital innovation and industrial development.

Established during Italy’s G7 Presidency and co-led by Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the initiative is supporting collaboration across 18 partner countries under the Italy-Africa Mattei Plan.

Key focus areas include the development of green computing infrastructure, expansion of language data resources, and investment in digital talent and skills development to support AI adoption and long-term industrial competitiveness.

Officials noted that the initiative seeks to move beyond pilot projects by creating sustainable ecosystems that enable scalable impact and inclusive digital transformation across participating African countries.