NAIROBI, July 21, 2026 — Kenya officially launched the Africa Technology Leadership Conference (ATLC) 2026 on Tuesday, unveiling an ambitious continental platform aimed at strengthening Africa's science, research, innovation and technology ecosystem while positioning the country as a leader in technology diplomacy.

The conference was launched at the Nairobi Serena Hotel during a press briefing presided over by the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak. Government officials, diplomats, researchers, technology leaders, innovators and members of the media attended the event.

The conference, which will be held on October 22 and 23, 2026, at the Argyle Hotel in Nairobi, will be convened under the theme, "From Technology Ambitions to Strategic Advantage: Leveraging Science, Research and Innovation for Diplomacy, Capital and Execution." Organisers said it is expected to attract more than 3,500 high-level participants from over 30 countries.

Speaking during the launch, Prof. Abdulrazak said Africa had reached a defining moment where science, research and innovation must become central to economic transformation, diplomacy and global competitiveness.

He said the conference was designed to move discussions beyond policy declarations and towards practical implementation by creating stronger partnerships between governments, academia, industry, investors and development partners.

"This is not merely another technology conference," Prof. Abdulrazak said. "It is a leadership platform that seeks to answer one critical question: How does Africa convert its science, research and technology ambitions into sustained economic, diplomatic and strategic advantage?"

The Principal Secretary noted that Africa continued to lag behind in research and development investment, citing UNESCO statistics showing that Sub-Saharan Africa invested only 0.38 per cent of its GDP in research and development compared to the global average of 1.92 per cent.

He said the continent also had significantly fewer researchers per million people than developed regions, a gap that continued to affect innovation, industrial growth, healthcare, agriculture and technological competitiveness.

Prof. Abdulrazak challenged African governments to increase investment in research institutions, laboratories and scientific talent while encouraging stronger collaboration between universities, industry and policymakers.

He further called on African countries to shift from being consumers of foreign technologies to becoming creators, owners and exporters of innovation.

"We must move from consuming knowledge to generating it, from importing finished technologies to developing African solutions, and from observing global technology negotiations to helping shape them," he said.

The Principal Secretary also highlighted Kenya's growing influence in the digital economy, noting that the country remained one of Africa's leading innovation hubs. However, he acknowledged that greater investment in research capacity and human capital would be necessary to sustain long-term technological leadership.

INVIGENCE Limited Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kenneth Rotich said the conference represented a deliberate shift from discussions to execution.

"For years, Africa has produced bold digital strategies and innovation agendas. Our greatest opportunity now lies in implementation. ATLC 2026 will bring together leaders who finance, govern, build and deploy technology so that ideas move beyond policy documents into institutions, investments and measurable outcomes," he said.

Dr. Rotich said the conference would facilitate strategic public-private partnerships, promote research commercialisation and strengthen Africa's position in global technology governance.

Meanwhile, Brian Mung'ei of Twinspen Limited said the conference would reinforce Nairobi's position as a leading destination for technology dialogue while strengthening Kenya's role as a regional hub for research collaboration, innovation investment and technology diplomacy.

Organisers said the conference would focus on four strategic areas: Technology Diplomacy and Leadership; Capital, Investment and Technology Infrastructure; Execution and Institutional Capability; and Trust, Data and Technology Resilience.

The meeting is expected to produce an ATLC 2026 Communiqué, policy recommendations, research papers, bilateral partnership frameworks and year-round leadership programmes aimed at ensuring that discussions lead to practical action.

Registration for delegates, exhibitors and strategic partners has already opened, with organisers expected to announce additional speakers and programme details in the coming weeks.

The launch underscored Kenya's commitment to positioning science, research and innovation at the centre of Africa's development agenda while creating a platform for governments, investors, researchers and innovators to shape the continent's technological future.