There is substantive evidence that the prevailing silo approach in public policy is threatening the materialization of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, approaches to research SDG interactions are in its infancy, and available ones fail to adequately incorporate the social and governance dimensions, which are instrumental in the implementation of sustainable development models. Likewise, managing real world SDG problems requires strong stakeholder engagement approach to find solutions matching countries capacities and their socioeconomic-physicalgovernance contexts. SDG-pathfinding aims to bridge some of these gaps, and develop novel tools and capacities support a sustainable development pathway for African countries that is adapted to the local contexts and priorities. We will pursue this goal by adopting a strong interand trans-disciplinary approach to: 1) Analyze multi-level governance structures and path dependencies; 2) Develop and test an innovative, online and participatory SDG scenario policy tool to support the development of inclusive and bottom up narratives and transformation pathways; and 3) Foster exchange and knowledge sharing to promote social learning and drive the change in mindsets required to match our ambitions for sustainability. We will implement our approach in two African SDG from hotspots from Senegal and South Africa. SDG pathfinding is an experiential and fully participatory process, and will engage participants through living labs in defining their desirable futures, anticipate potential trade-offs, and co-designing solutions within the chosen sustainability pathways. Main innovations: 1) the integration with a governance framework to unpack impediments and enablers for SDG implementation; 2) a flexible integration of the different participatory tools; 3) suitable to support the localization of the SDG agenda, and 5) can be implemented online approach in situations where face-to-face meetings are not possible.

The overall objective of AquaVitae is to increase aquaculture production in and around the Atlantic Ocean in a sustainable way by developing new and emerging low trophic species and by optimising production in existing aquaculture value chains. The value chains that AquaVitae will focus on include macroalgae production, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, and production of new echinoderm species as well as existing shellfish and finfish species. A series of cross-cutting Work Packages (WPs) will include research on biosensors, Internet of Things (IoT), product characteristics, consumer attitudes, market potential, sustainability, environmental monitoring, risk assessment, analysis of value chains, profitability, and other socioeconomic aspects. AquaVitae will contribute to various policy dialogues and produce briefs on policy and governance issues. The AquaVitae consortium consists of 36 full partners from Europe and countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, in addition to an Industry Reference group, a Policy Advice Group, and an External Advisory Group. AquaVitae supports extensive communication and outreach activities, employs a multi-actor approach to ensure stakeholder engagement in all phases of the project, and will set up a durable aquaculture industry and research network around the Atlantic Ocean. Industry partners are present in all case studies, and they have a special responsibility for exploitation and commercialization of the project research results and outcomes. AquaVitae will have a lasting impact on society through the introduction of new species, and through the development of new processes and products based on a circular economy / zero waste approach with improved sustainability. AquaVitae will produce Good Practice standards, facilitate industry apprenticeship and student exchange, support extensive training programs for industry, academia, and the public, and contribute to the implementation of the EU-Brazil-South Africa Belém Statement.

In order to support and grow the emerging South African social innovation sector, we will a create a digital network – Common Good First - to capture and showcase social impact projects in South Africa, connecting them to each other, academics and HEIs around the world. In doing so, we will also address the issue of the ‘digital divide’, as identified by the country’s National Development Plan 2030 (2013), by supporting the growth of e-skills among community groups, including innovative digital storytelling modules which will be co-designed and taught by young people in our partners HEIs and community projects. Based on the high usage of mobile phone technology in South Africa, we will ensure that these platforms are at the heart of our content and application development. •We will actively promote and support University/Enterprise cooperation, based on deep knowledge of the digital landscape in SA, so as to promote take-up of web and mobile technologies in the region, in line with government objectives •We will create an online directory of innovative social projects for learning and teaching, as well as offering opportunities for community engagement to students in South Africa and EU•This resource will also connect our community projects to potential funders and sponsors•We will create modules in digital storytelling for both student engagement with the wider community, and community projects themselves, and roll these out in mobile labs in three SA provinces, focusing on rural, peri-urban and urban locations•Co-operation and collaboration will be developed between universities in the northern and southern hemispheres around social innovation, digital literacy and community engagement.The ultimate vision for Common Good First is to roll out the platform (and associated teaching modules and social innovation resources) more widely within Africa, Europe and beyond.

In a globalized world characterized by modes of economic production requiring the ongoing production of new knowledge, Africa will only compete if it is able to participate as more than a producer of raw materials for ‘reinvented’ goods. In order to do this, Africa needs to increase its research production. This will only be achieved if more doctoral graduates are produced and if its existing scholars are supported to work at the cutting edges of disciplines and subject areas. However, the need for economic development is not the only reason for an increase in research production. Knowledge contributes to the stability of democratic societies as does the opening up of the capacity to be involved in research production to those who have been previously marginalized. This project differs from many others aimed at increasing research capacity by focusing not on the development of structures, such as programmes, units or policies but by working in the ‘cultural domain’ to foster the development of research rich environments in which academics and postgraduate students can thrive. Social scientists constantly remind us that culture is as important as structure but it is the ‘softer’ cultural elements that are often overlooked. The project does this by fostering scholarly engagements intended to share African scholarship and thought and provide role models and practices for others to emulate. A second element of the project involves adapting a highly successful course on postgraduate supervision so that it too addresses the cultural domain and makes supervisors aware of covert assumptions and elements of practice that may exclude rather than include.Finally, the project fosters collaborations amongst partners aimed at developing the capacity to manage and plan research in culturally sensitive ways which draw on best practices but which are nonetheless cognizant of multiple ways of experiencing the world.