Digital Transformation Centres in Ghana and Iraq reimagine innovation and sustainability together

In June 2025, the Digital Transformation Centres of Ghana and Iraq convened innovation hubs and ecosystem actors for a peer exchange on building resilient innovation ecosystems. Building on DTC Iraq’s visit to Ghana Innovation Week 2023, the dialogue has grown into a platform for cross-continental collaboration.

The core focus: moving from donor support to financial sustainability. Participants shared approaches on revenue generation, community-rooted operations, and the mindset shifts required. “Resilience means creating value our communities want and are willing to pay for,” noted Fab Hub Ashanti. Suli Innovation House highlighted how turning challenges into services fuels growth.

The session also explored future collaboration such as joint programmes, cross-border training, and continuous peer learning. “Exchanges like this inspire us to keep building with what we have and who we serve,” said Ali Taher of Makers of Baghdad. Makers of Baghdad is an innovation hub in Iraq dedicated to empowering Iraqi entrepreneurs and innovators by transforming ideas into impactful businesses through cutting-edge training programs, collaborative workspaces, and startup incubation. As Richmond Elikplim Anane from Hopin Academy put it: “Moving from donor support to financial sustainability is not just a goal; it is an essential mindset shift.” Hopin Academy is an innovation hub tackling rural-urban migration, youth unemployment, and poverty in Northern Ghana. Guided by the conviction that entrepreneurship is the key to lasting solutions, the academy continues to shape its initiatives around this belief.

Both DTCs see this as a starting point for sustained cooperation that strengthens ecosystems, enhances resilience, and drives context-driven innovation across borders.

About the digital Transformation Centers