Last February's visit to Nairobi by Italy's Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, is already bearing fruit. Here is another positive development for scientific research cooperation between Italy and Kenya.

The cooperation agreement between Italy and Kenya in the field of scientific research is now entering its operational phase. Italy's National Research Council (CNR) will be the country's leading public research institution to host Kenyan researchers in its laboratories and state-of-the-art research facilities, thanks to projects funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research under the bilateral cooperation programme between the two countries.

The initiative implements the Joint Declaration on Research and Innovation and the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Italy and Kenya, within the framework of the Mattei Plan, which aims to strengthen Italy's strategic relations with the African continent through education, research cooperation and knowledge transfer.

Seven CNR research infrastructures located across Italy will take part in the programme, providing Kenyan researchers with access to highly specialised laboratories, cutting-edge technologies, research opportunities, training programmes and academic mentoring. The areas covered range from materials science and neuroscience to energy, structural biology, Earth observation and cultural heritage preservation.

"Opening our laboratories to colleagues from Kenya confirms the National Research Council's international vocation and the strategic role of research as a tool for dialogue, growth and shared development," said CNR President Andrea Lenzi. According to Lenzi, sharing research infrastructures and expertise means building lasting relationships between the scientific communities of the two countries while preparing a new generation of researchers to tackle global challenges such as health, climate change, the energy transition and digital transformation.

Lenzi also thanked Italy's Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, describing the initiative as "an investment in human capital and scientific diplomacy" capable of strengthening the partnership between Italy and Kenya while delivering tangible benefits not only to the two countries but also to the international scientific community.

Overall, the programme involves thirteen Italian research institutions, with nineteen funded projects and forty-eight three-month mobility placements for researchers. It represents another important step in a partnership that, following Minister Bernini's visit to Nairobi last February, continues to translate into concrete opportunities for universities, research centres and young scientists in both Italy and Kenya.