%20(2).png)
Few forces in history have done more to eradicate poverty than industrialisation. Africa is no exception to this logic, whatever the continent's particular circumstances. In recent years, it has seen genuine gains in industrial output and GDP growth. But progress and equity are not the same thing. Stark disparities persist in energy access and poverty reduction, and they are deepening against a backdrop of climate vulnerability that grows more acute by the year.
Yet Africa's potential is equally hard to dispute. The continent has a real opportunity to build its industrial future on clean foundations, without having to repeat the polluting mistakes of earlier industrializers. That is not a handicap. It is a head start. Add to this a young and increasingly educated population, a growing middle class, expanding markets, and a rare opening to chart a development path built for the demands of this century rather than the last.
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) is acting on this opportunity. Founded in 1959 and long committed to prosperity through sustainable industrialisation, KAM is working with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) through the Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Livelihoods (EELA) Program to deploy the Industry Clean-Tech Platform (ICTP), a continental one-stop-shop for energy-efficient industrial solutions tailored to the specific needs of African industries. The platform speaks directly to one of Africa's most pressing challenges - how to identify, implement, and finance the industrial interventions that cut energy consumption and sharpen competitiveness - and offers concrete support to do exactly that.
Kenya makes this mission concrete. As a net importer of petroleum products and faced with some of the region’s highest energy prices, industry here absorbs not only steep costs but the volatility of power markets. This is precisely why KAM works closely with international and local partners to identify the technological solutions best suited to improving energy performance across our industrial sectors, guided by a principle as simple as it is powerful: the cheapest energy is the energy that is not consumed. Energy efficiency, in this sense, must be Africa's first fuel, and one, not coincidentally, fully aligned with UNIDO's commitment to the nexus of decarbonisation and competitiveness.
The ICTP demonstrates what a co-designed platform can deliver: concrete, measurable impact at the intersection of technology, finance, and industrial transformation. Conceived as an online environment supporting both supply and demand, the platform aims to accelerate the uptake of sustainable energy technologies, strengthen competitiveness, and support industrial decarbonisation. A selected group of international and national providers will populate its marketplace, enabling local industries to search for the equipment, components, software solutions, or expert consultancy they need. Dedicated financial instruments and strategic partnerships will de-risk investments and broaden access to capital, ensuring that cost is not the barrier that ambition cannot overcome.
The platform also carries a knowledge dimension. Reports, case studies, and industry news will support informed decision-making by managers and energy professionals alike. Taken together, these three pillars, technology, finance, and knowledge, are designed to drive market transformation toward industrial solutions that are high-performing, affordable, and energy-efficient, while strengthening local value chains and unlocking new investment flows.
Improving energy efficiency rarely stops at the electricity bill, and that is a broader benefit worth naming. When industries upgrade their equipment to meet higher performance standards, they set off a wider process of renewal: old machinery gets replaced, production lines get modernized, and workers gain hands-on experience with the technologies that are shaping the future of manufacturing. The climate gains follow naturally. More efficient industries pollute less, and that matters most to the communities living closest to them, including young people and women, who tend to bear a disproportionate share of the costs when the environment deteriorates.
This is why we are proud to be in Vienna for the official launch of the ICTP Platform, alongside representatives from UNIDO, the Government of Sweden, whose determined support has made this initiative possible, and manufacturing associations from Eastern and Southern Africa. This launch represents a beginning, not an arrival, and an opportunity for deeper cooperation. As a famous African proverb reminds us: faster alone, further together. Our hope is that the momentum built here continues to grow, carried forward by the commitment of every stakeholder in this room and beyond.