Advanced training, collaborative research, and creation of new innovation opportunities in four key areas: advanced materials for energy, bioactive compounds, mineral resources, and cultural heritage conservation.

These are the main objectives of the "Boosting Research Infrastructure for Development, Growth, and Empowerment in Africa" - BRIDGE Africa" project, funded with 250 thousand euros by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) within the Mattei Plan and the G7 "Research Capacity Building with Africa" (RCA).

The partnership, led by the University of Bari, also includes the University of Padua and the University of Catania, along with various academic institutions from African countries (Algeria, Cameroon, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia) and G7 countries, with the support of some important international scientific organizations.

The African Light Source (AfLS) is the cornerstone of this initiative: a strategic research infrastructure that promises to transform the continent's scientific landscape. This cutting-edge synchrotron will offer a multidisciplinary experimental platform, ranging from materials science to biomedicine, from drug discovery to archaeology. The AfLS will not only contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but will also act as a catalyst for sustainable scientific and technological growth in Africa.

"With the BRIDGE Africa project, we aim to strengthen scientific and cultural exchanges with the African continent, promoting equal collaboration. Together with Prof. Gilberto Artioli, we will coordinate the activities assigned to the Department of Geosciences. These include creating new curricula on the topics of circular mineral resource supply and archaeological sciences for cultural heritage conservation. The goal is to enhance and modernize the educational offerings of the partner universities in the project." explains Luca Valentini, professor at the Department of Geosciences  and scientific coordinator of BRIDGE Africa for the University of Padua along with Gilberto Artioli.