AICS or the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, is one of several key innovations established by the Italian law on international cooperation. The Agency was formed in January 2016, with the aim of aligning Italy with its principal European and global partners to promote and assist with economic development.
Its basic model reflects one used in the many other European countries, and is based on a philosophy of creating more professional and innovative forms of cooperation with partner countries.
The Agency headquarters are in Rome. AICS runs another base in Florence and has 20 field offices worldwide, including five in Africa, which are focused on implementing development initiatives, monitoring results and building partnerships on the ground in each region.
A View on Where AICS Is Focusing Investment
Business Tech Africa Spoke with Paolo Sertoli, the regional representative of AICS, who is based in Mozambique, and asked him about what is happening from an Italian Investment perspective in Africa.
Paolo advises that there has been a significant change this year due to the Italian government having approved an investment plan for Africa which is called the Piano Matei plan.
Agriculture a Key Focus
The plan includes the implementation of activities on the ground in order to mitigate side effects of some industrial activities. As an example Paolo discussed the implementation of a plan in his local office in Mozambique, where they are looking at implementing a new Agricultural support program.
Sertoli says that they will be establishing a new Agricultural Centre in Mozambique, to support the local Agri-sector. “So, actually, what we are thinking about is a centre where we can create added value to food production, he says. “The situation in Mozambique right now is that they do produce, but then there is no post-harvest, activity or processing”.
“So, we would like to have within this centre an added value section (with food processing units), creating some products that could go to the market at local level. So, this is what is happening in Mozambique and we would like also to work on this in the next couple of years” he comments.
Vocational Training and Skills Development
Sertoli says that a big focus for the agency is also vocational training for developing skills at local level. Particularly in the technical vocational training.
“So, this is something that the government of Italy, through the funds of the Italian Development Corporation, would like to boost in the future and also in the countries that I’m covering with our office” he says.
He comments “I think this is a crucial point. So, when we talk especially about technology, there’s always a programme related to the transfer of technology. So, you can transfer very top-of-the-shelf technology, but then you don’t have, at local level, the maintenance services for this technology, So, this is something as a development corporation we try to tackle”, he says
