Webinar view showing attendees and a large conference room with many attendees seated at round tables; a banner reads "Turning a Moment into a Movement" with African Union and EU logos above.

From Participation to Influence: Youth Voices in the AU-EU Innovation Dialogue

23 July 2026

Young people must be represented not only as beneficiaries of innovation policies, but also as researchers, entrepreneurs, advocates, and decision-shapers. This message was brought to the “Implementing the AU-EU Innovation Agenda” series during Workshop 6 – Youth-Led Innovations, held online on 23 July 2026.

The workshop was organized by the African Union and European Union, in collaboration with the Africa-Europe Innovation Platform, and gathered 180 participants from across the youth, research, innovation, policy, institutional, and private-sector ecosystems.

Representing the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective, Silvia Diazzi from Youthmakers Hub delivered the presentation “Empowering Youth-Led Innovation Through Skills, Opportunities & Community.” Her contribution demonstrated how meaningful youth participation in policy and innovation dialogues must be supported by practical tools, relevant skills, funding opportunities, strong networks, and clear channels for young people to influence decisions.

Participants were introduced to the programme’s grants of up to €10,000, youth-led research, Youth Power Hackathons, regional advocacy spaces, partner-led training, and opportunities to contribute to surveys and consultations. These initiatives help young people move from having ideas to developing evidence, communicating solutions, building visibility, and participating actively in Africa-Europe cooperation.

The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab App was presented as a key pathway for this participation. In its first year, the App reached 5,258 active users, recorded more than 40,000 logins and 259,000 interactions, supported 1,212 course completions, shared 270 opportunities, and achieved an 86% user satisfaction rate.

The App currently offers 21 free courses across four learning areas, together with certificates, opportunities, networking, surveys, consultations, and community spaces. During the workshop, three courses were highlighted through the “Research – Pitch – Promote” pathway: Designing Research Tools, Pitching and Communication Training, and Leveraging Social Media Platforms for Youth Advocacy.

As Silvia Diazzi emphasized, “The skills to lead and speak up give young people the power to take their space.”