"Les Routes de l'Innovation", An African Tour of Positive Innovations

Passionate about travel and wishing to show that profitability is not incompatible with a social environment, Paul Rivière and Martin Chazelle (TBS 2023), have created the association "Les routes de l'innovation".

Les Routes de l'Innovation : An African Tour of Positive Innovations

The African continent is emerging as a new environment for digital innovation. In particular, there is a strong dynamism in innovation in East Africa, more particularly in Kenya, where many initiatives are emerging to overcome the shortcomings and/or problems in agriculture, health, the economy, public services, basic necessities, etc. However, this potential for innovation remains largely unknown in Europe and in France.

Focus on the projet
 

Paul and Martin met in high school. Their taste for travel led them to remote places in different countries: Vietnam, Morocco, Mexico. The more the years passed, the more their social and environmental considerations took precedence over purely "tourist" travel.

From then on, it became clear to them that they needed to rethink the trip in order to really feel the pulse of the countries they visited: by meeting the different ecosystems they already knew well in France. With a common passion for new technologies and humanitarianism, it was natural to build a study trip close to their attractions. 

In a world where innovation is king and technology is taking more and more place in our lives, they were surprised by the modest knowledge of individuals on these subjects and the few initiatives that stick to sustainable development.

• What use is blockchain in a country where the financial infrastructure is unstable or unreliable?
• How can AI be used to fight zoonoses?
• What are the most promising technologies for improving access to water in arid regions?
  
  

It is to this kind of problem that Paul and Martin wish to offer the beginning of an answer, by going to meet, interview and film those who make innovation in contexts where it responds to necessities - more than to needs.

Martin and Paul left in March 2022 for a tour of Lake Victoria: Kenya - Uganda - Rwanda and Tanzania, to meet entrepreneurs, universities or researchers who deploy their energy in the development of solutions based on a solid, innovative economic system and positively impacting their environment. Most of it will be in line with the various sustainable development goals!

Economic profitability is not incompatible with environmental and social issues.

"Les Routes de l'innovation" is 3 months of exchanges with innovators, but it is also 3 months of discovering new landscapes and new cultures!

They will try to spread the innovation:

• On site, by presenting new concepts throughout the journey. Common issues may trigger a replicability phenomenon for social and environmental development.
• And elsewhere, since they will be feeding a website throughout the trip, with articles on the projects and field contexts. The aim is to inform the general public and to create exchanges between the South and the North.

To follow "Les Route de l'Innovation" adventure, or simply to discover more about the project, visit the website!