it_team4_FOREst 26 March 2026Düsseldorf, 26 March. It4Forest enthusiast Professor Jan-Peter Mund took the stage at the Africa Pavilion at XPONENTIAL Europe, an international forum for drone stakeholders. The drone sector is evolving rapidly, yet it remains significantly impacted by gender imbalance and a lack of inclusion. World-wide, women, people with disabilities, and individuals from marginalized communities are largly underrepresented in trainings and employments.
Within the GIZ project “Triangular Cooperation for Digital Innovation Made in Africa’”, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, this issue is explored by comparing the inclusivity of the emerging drone sector in Germany with experiences from its African partner countries and other international examples. It4Forest enthusiast Jan-Peter Mund discussed the options for improving drone and geospatial skills. Among others, he illustrated the opportunities for women in assuming careers as drone pilots.
The Africa Pavilion at XPONENTIAL Europe, brings together African companies, regulators, and industry leaders to engage directly with a global audience of manufacturers, innovators, investors, policymakers, and commercial operators. The pavillion is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) project “Triangular cooperation for digital innovations Made in Africa” implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The GIZ project as Public Innovation Partner, reflected a shared commitment to sustainable innovation, private-sector development, and the responsible adoption of drone for good and AI technologies across Africa.
Jan-Peter Mund participated on behalf of the project “Triangular Cooperation for Digital Innovation Made in Affrica” that demonstrated that data-driven solutions by using drone technologies developed on African soil are ready to shape the future in different sectors.