Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) Annual Forum

The 2026 TIPS Forum seeks to explore the implications of the changing geopolitical and technological environment for industrial policy and economic development in Africa.

The Forum will have a hybrid format that enables mostly in-person presentations to engage a diverse virtual audience. It will provide a platform for high-level panel discussions between industry, civil society, policymakers and academics.

The TIPS Forum provides space to debate two central questions: How have the multi-facetted and far-reaching changes of the past 15 years affected African economies, and how are they likely to evolve in the coming decade? What are the implications for industrial policy initiatives – what needs to change, and what should be reinforced and scaled up?

The 2026 Forum will bring together academics, policymakers, civil society organisations, workers and practitioners to seek answers to these questions. The Forum will combine panel discussions with leading experts and stakeholders with presentations of mostly academic research in breakaway sessions.