Italian Universities and Research Minister Anna Maria Bernini traveled to Djibouti to launch a new phase of cooperation on scientific research and higher education, underscoring Rome’s effort to strengthen long-term partnerships in the Horn of Africa through the Mattei Plan.
The visit also highlighted the growing role of digital infrastructure and technological cooperation in Italy’s engagement with one of the world’s most strategically located countries.
Why it matters: Italy is increasingly combining science diplomacy, technological cooperation and infrastructure resilience in its engagement with Africa.
- Bernini’s visit reflects an approach that pairs education and research with initiatives supporting digital connectivity and critical infrastructure.
Zoom in: Science diplomacy. During the mission, Bernini launched a framework for cooperation with Djibouti in scientific research and higher education.
- The initiative supports Italy’s broader engagement in the Horn of Africa and complements the objectives of the Mattei Plan, which promotes long-term partnerships, capacity building and sustainable development with African countries.
A strategic digital hub. Bernini also visited Djibouti’s submarine telecommunications cable landing station, where she was briefed on a project promoted by the Med-Or Italian Foundation to strengthen the capacity of Djiboutian authorities to inspect and protect subsea telecommunications infrastructure.
- The initiative builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Rome last month between Med-Or and Djibouti’s Ministry of Economy and Finance. The agreement established a framework for cooperation on critical infrastructure, digital connectivity, energy systems and strategic dialogue.
- The partnership comes as the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb corridor gain renewed strategic attention amid persistent regional instability, further underscoring Djibouti’s role as a gateway connecting Europe, Africa and Asia.
Why Djibouti matters: Located at the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Djibouti has become one of the world’s key digital connectivity hubs.
- Around 18% of international data traffic carried by submarine cables transits through the country, which hosts 12 subsea cable systems, six of them connected to Italy. That makes the resilience and protection of these networks increasingly important for international communications and economic connectivity.
The bottom line: Bernini’s visit reflects Italy’s effort to broaden its partnership with Djibouti by combining research, education and digital infrastructure into a wider strategy for engagement in the Horn of Africa.
- It also builds on recent initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation on resilient infrastructure and regional connectivity, key pillars of Rome’s approach under the Mattei Plan.
