The BioInnovation Academy is a comprehensive training package developed under the BioInnovation Africa (BIA) project to strengthen knowledge, skills, and sustainable practices in biodiversity-based value chains across the African continent. It is designed to serve practitioners, trainers, institutions, and professionals committed to biodiversity-based economic development.
Building on several years of field experience in Cameroon, Madagascar, Namibia, and South Africa, the Academy provides a robust, structured approach to capacity building that supports policy implementation, business innovation, and socio-economic development rooted in biodiversity sustainable management. The Academy content is aligned to the international (SDGs and GBF) and national frameworks.
A Structured Approach: Three Pillars, Six Modules, Twenty-Six Learning Units
The training is organized around three pillars:
1. Environment
2. Economics, Business and Governance
3. Social Aspects
These are further divided into six thematic modules and 26 learning units, delivered through a blended-learning format combining in-person workshops with online learning via the atingi platform. The Academy includes technical manuals, methodological guidelines, handouts and exercises, and ready-to-deliver training packages for facilitators.
A Large-Scale Capacity Building Effort
More than 100 trainers from the private sector, civil society, academia, and government have been trained. These trainers have currently reached more than 300 learners, and this number is expected to reach 500 by the end of the project in April 2026. In addition, processes are currently underway to integrate the Academy's modules into university mini-courses, training offerings for professionals, and capacity-building sessions for communities and other stakeholders.
The scaling up of the BioInnovation Academy is being carried out in collaboration with national and pan-African institutions including the African Leadership University’s-School of Wildlife Conservation, and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), which is the southern Africa technical support centre for the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Academy aims to consolidate a pan-African network of trainers, fostering continuous exchange, joint learning, and innovation in training delivery.
Online Access for All Actors in Biotrade
The digital platform launched on 17 October allows stakeholders to complete certified training, access materials, and download tools to conduct their own trainings. It is available in English and French on the atingi platform: BioInnovation Academy EN | atingi and BioInnovation Academy FR | atingi.
Interested? To learn more about the development and implementation of the BioInnovation Academy and listen to trainers’ perspectives, we invite you to have a look at the launch event on YouTube:
