Adriano Mauro, founder and General Manager of AREA, welcomed a delegation of experts from Nigeria, Ghana, and Namibia to foster collaborations with the outstanding business and educational network of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Among the guests were Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, General Director, and Elizabeth Ademola, Head of Climate and Partnerships, from LAWMA, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority in Nigeria, along with Andre Plaatjie, Corporate Head of the Swakopmund Municipality in Namibia, and the Head of the Remseyer Technical Training School from Ghana.

The participants met with local companies and higher education institutions, including Caibot led by Massimo Agostini, which specializes in collaborative robots (cobots) for flexible and high-precision industrial production, and Francesco Missarino, Director of the Nobile Aviation College. The guests attended a demonstration at the Arizona2001 AeroClub, showing how drones can optimize waste management: identifying toxic fumes, detecting materials through spectrography (plastic, metal, etc.), and spotting potential fires caused by spontaneous combustion of waste using infrared cameras.

The delegation also participated in the panel “Internationalization of Skills for a Sustainable Ecological Transition” at Ecomondo, the leading sustainability fair held annually in Rimini. Adriano Mauro and his guests presented two projects coordinated by AREA: GreenVETAfrica and CircuWasteVETAfrica, both ERASMUS+ projects co-funded by the European Commission. These projects involve partners from Nigeria, Ghana, Namibia, Angola, and Sao Tomé and aim to develop innovation and training programs for experts in sustainable waste management.

“Cooperation and scientific diplomacy, professional training, and technological education are crucial, especially in light of the recent Strategic Plan for building a new partnership between Italy and African states, as outlined in the Mattei Plan. In this context, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a point of reference: our region hosts a vast ecosystem of scientific research organizations and excellence in technological and industrial innovation, coordinated by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Scientific and Innovation System (SiS FVG).

AREA is proud to contribute to weaving this web of relationships, collaborating with significant entities in our Region. Our team has been active in Africa for many years, with projects focused on innovation (Horizon Europe), training (ERASMUS+), and sustainability in various African countries.

 These are nations facing significant challenges in environmental sustainability, youth training, and technological acceleration. We contribute to these changes by proposing collaborations and leading research projects that involve our partners in Africa, local governments, training centers, universities, and the industrial and professional excellence of our region” says Adriano Mauro, founder of AREA and project coordinator.

The initiative was covered by Messaggero Veneto, the leading regional newspaper