Côte d’Ivoire has emerged as an AI leader in Africa, with both burgeoning tech talent and no shortage of breakthrough innovations. Still, the West African nation has not always had sufficient means to get the word out about its artificial intelligence prowess, both among its own home-grown initiatives — and to the rest of the world. With that in mind, Côte d’Ivoire launched its first global event dedicated to AI: SIADE, the International Exhibition on Artificial Intelligence, Defense, and Space, which took place on February 20-21.

Initiated by Dr Yaya Sylla, chief executive officer of SaH Analytics International in Abidjan, SIADE aims to position the country as a key player in new technologies in the coming years.

“After noticing the void in terms of events devoted to new technologies and artificial intelligence in the region, we decided to create SIADE so that the Ivorian and African tech community could meet and exchange with international experts on the stakes and many applications of AI,” explains Dr. Sylla.

But rather than organizing it around AI in general, he chose to focus on its role in defense and aerospace which stand at the heart of every nation’s sovereignty strategies. “Defense is not just about weapons and artillery. We wanted to display the other side of it, intelligence, which is playing a major part in security.”

The SaH Analytics CEO knows the stakes well: As the trusted third party for the Ivorian government on AI and cybersecurity, and a local leader in satellite imagery data and analysis, the company has been involved in several projects on national security.

Arnaud Floris, Africa Coordinator for Bpifrance, who took part in SIADE alongside several notable French Tech companies, said the event’s focus on these particular industries across Africa made it particularly useful.

“SIADE was a great opportunity to explore how African companies can create solutions in these two strategic fields, showcase the innovative technologies they have already developed and strengthen the role of the region on a continental and international level,” says Floris.

A successful first

This first edition was a success, with more than 13 countries represented, including Canada, Pakistan, Peru and South Korea, more than 7,000 visitors (from government representatives, companies and research institutions to students of all ages), 50 partners and sponsors, including Bpifrance, and 35 seminars and keynotes over two days. “We have created the impact we

wanted,” says Sylla. “We have proven that we could create an event of this scale, aligned with international standards.”

Day one was dedicated to professionals, with SIADE serving as a platform to share expertise, create interaction and ignite collaborations to address common issues. Floris notes that, the emergence of an AI hub in central and western Africa is particularly fertile ground for French companies willing to invest — as France is for Ivorian companies. “These bonds go beyond the simple exports of goods between the two regions, it’s about co-investing and co-developping.”

Sylla agrees. To further deepen its space imagery expertise, he recently invested in French startup Prométhée, which operates a constellation of nanosatellites. “More than a partnership, we are looking for co-industrialization and a technological transfer in Côte d’Ivoire,” he says.

“Space tech in the country and the region is still in its early stages but competition here is expected to grow fast and strong over the next couple of years,” Sylla continues. The analysis of data from space holds immense potential, not only from a military but also civil perspective. In the meantime, the Ivorian army is already equipped with cutting-edge technologies using AI and satellite imagery, as demonstrated during the exhibition.

Floris is sure the military innovation will ultimately spill into civilian applications. “Satellite mapping will be an essential tool for agriculture, mobility and even energy production,” says Bpifrance’s Africa Coordinator.

The next steps

Day two of the SIADE event was open to all visitors, students in particular. “One of Côte d’Ivoire’s greatest assets is its youth, the same youth who is hungry for new technologies, who has already integrated AI in its daily life and is creating its new applications,” notes Sylla. Inspiring young generations to play an active part in the country’s development and tech sovereignty is essential in positioning the region on the international stage.

Educating and training young Ivorians is thus one of the missions of both SaH Analytics and Bpifrance, through partnerships with schools in Côte d’Ivoire and in France, and in direct investments in this emerging population. “This agility comes from the fact that our business ecosystem here does not bear the marks of the industrial revolutions that shaped Western countries,” Silla says.

Meanwhile, this and other African nations need to continue its development on a structural level. The lack of connectivity within the territory — the famous “white spots” — is one of the main issues Côte d’Ivoire and its neighbors are working on.

But a growing use of AI also means a growing need for data storage. “In four years’ time, data will explode,” predicts Silla. For artificial intelligence and machine learning to hold their promise and unleash their potential, local and foreign investments in powerful data storage are essential.

And for anyone who may still doubt whether we are witnessing the emergence of a new promised land, a second edition for 2026 is already in the works.