SEVEN TRACKS,
ONE PRODUCTIVE FUTURE
The themes and topics for papers, sessions and conversations at iCAD 2027.
Seven interconnected tracks
The tracks bring together academic research, professional insight and practical conversation about Africa’s productive future. iCAD 2027 is open to academics from all countries, and to professionals, policymakers and practitioners whose work focuses on Africa and/or inclusive development.
Artificial intelligence runs through every track.
Track 3 is the home for work on AI itself. AI applications in a particular field belong in the track for that field: AI in diagnostics under Health & Medicine, or AI in construction and infrastructure under Engineering & Construction.
Scroll to move through the tracks. Choose the one that best fits your submission.
Business & Management
Productive Enterprises, Leadership and Workforce Development
Topics
- Skills development and workforce productivity
- SME productivity, scaling and business growth
- Entrepreneurship and enterprise development
- African multinational enterprises and global competitiveness
- Private sector contribution to inclusive development
- AI adoption, automation and enterprise productivity
Economics, Finance & Accounting
Productive Economies, Efficient Resource Use and Financial Accountability
Topics
- Productivity and economic transformation
- Domestic resource mobilisation, audit, transparency and financial accountability
- Debt, development finance and fiscal sustainability
- SME finance and productivity, financial inclusion and access to capital
- AfCFTA, trade and regional economic integration, remittances, diaspora investment and development
- AI, fintech and the economics of automation
AI, Data Analytics, Computing & Digital Technologies
Digital Skills, Artificial Intelligence and Efficient Development
Topics
- AI and the future of work, responsible and ethical use of AI
- Digital skills and workforce development, AI for education and skills training
- Digital transformation of African businesses, technology and public service efficiency, cybersecurity and digital resilience
- Digital entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems, blockchain, transparency and accountability
Health & Medicine
Health Workforce Development, Efficient Systems and Inclusive Wellbeing
Topics
- Health workforce training and professional development
- Skills shortages in African health systems, healthcare efficiency and service delivery
- Digital health and health technologies, climate change and public health
- Public health leadership and accountability, health financing and resource allocation
- Health inequalities and inclusive access, medical innovation and local capability development
- Governance and accountability in health institutions
- AI in diagnostics, health systems and public health
Engineering & Construction
Technical Skills, Infrastructure Efficiency and Sustainable Development
Topics
- Engineering education and technical skills development
- Technical and Vocational Education and Training (VET) and workforce readiness
- Infrastructure productivity and efficiency, sustainable construction and urban development
- Energy systems and productive capacity, local content and technical capability development
- Smart cities and digital infrastructure, construction governance and accountability
- Project management and infrastructure delivery, manufacturing and industrial capability
- Climate-resilient infrastructure, renewable energy and green skills
- AI in construction, infrastructure and smart-city systems
Law & Society
Law, Governance and Institutions for Inclusive and Productive Development in Africa
Topics
- Legal frameworks for skills, employment and economic participation; labour law and the future of work
- Rule of law, institutional effectiveness, public sector performance, accountability and anti-corruption; corporate governance, business regulation, investment, trade and law for enterprise and economic development
- Human rights, gender, social justice and inclusive development
- Public procurement, transparency, value for money and accountability for development
- Digital regulation, AI governance, data protection, technology and the changing nature of work and society
- Land, property, natural resources, environmental governance and sustainable development
- Citizen participation, democratic accountability, access to justice, legal pluralism and social transformation
- International economic law, African regional integration and AfCFTA
- Law, informality, migration and the relationship between formal institutions and African societies
Urban Futures, Social Science & Development
Skilled, Efficient and Inclusive African Cities
Topics
- Urban skills, employment and the future of work, productive and inclusive cities, housing, land and infrastructure efficiency
- Climate-resilient and sustainable cities, urban governance and citizen participation
- Skills for construction, planning and municipal services, affordable housing and inclusive urban development
- Migration, youth opportunity and urban inequality, informal economies and livelihood development
- AI and data in urban planning and municipal services