UCT contributes to Pan-African AI innovation

UCT will play a central role in the FDL Foundations Big Think, a hybrid interdisciplinary workshop taking place 9 to 10 March 2026 in Stellenbosch. The event brings together researchers, scientists, and organisational partners from across the continent to co-design frontier applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in science and society.  

FDL Foundations (Africa) is part of the Frontier Development Lab (FDL.ai) ecosystem - an initiative that blends deep scientific expertise with cutting-edge AI development to tackle transformative challenges. The Big Think format emphasises early-stage idea generation, bringing domain experts and AI practitioners together to explore “what if” and “how might we” questions that will evolve into impactful research sprints later in 2026.  

UCT’s Leadership and Participation 

UCT eResearch Director, Prof Mattia Vaccari, has been part of the FDL Foundations Africa organising team from its inception. The workshop also features participation from several collaborators within the UCT AI Initiative, reinforcing UCT’s commitment to advancing interdisciplinary AI research and expanding its collaborative network across Africa and beyond. 

“AI has the power to accelerate scientific discovery and address complex socio-technical challenges in African contexts and globally,” said Prof Vaccari. “Our involvement in FDL Foundations Africa reflects UCT’s dedication to inclusive, open collaboration — bringing diverse voices and expertise together to co-create research that matters.” 

During the workshop, participants will engage in thematic tracks on Novel Applications and Scientific Discovery, exploring practical agentic tools built on foundation models and innovative AI-driven research approaches. Through guided breakout sessions, expert talks, and collective synthesis discussions, ideas will be shaped into concept notes that could form the basis of future FDL Foundations research challenges.  

Amplifying African AI Leadership 

A key feature of FDL Foundations is the blend of interdisciplinary perspectives, where academic researchers collaborate with practitioners in technology and applied AI. One prominent contributor to this ecosystem is UCT alumnus Mike Heyns, Technical Programme Manager at Trillium Technologies, a research and development company applying AI to both systems and scientific challenges.  

“FDL Foundations Africa is a unique opportunity to bring together domain expertise and AI innovation,” said Heyns. “By convening researchers and technology leaders across sectors and geographies, we can co-design ideas that have real potential to address pressing global and regional challenges.” 

As Technical Programme Manager, Heyns works at the intersection of science, programme design and interdisciplinary AI innovation, drawing on experience working across research sprints and collaborative labs.  

Looking Ahead 

FDL Foundations Africa represents a significant milestone in UCT’s engagement with multidisciplinary AI communities across sectors and regions. Concepts emerging from the Big Think will feed into later stages of the FDL research cycle in 2026, potentially evolving into concrete initiatives with scientific and societal impact. Watch this space as applications for FDL Foundations open!