The Accelerated Growth for SMEs In Zambia Programme (AGS) is a Finnish Government funded private sector development initiative implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI) of the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ). It aims to accelerate the growth and improve competitiveness of the start-ups, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as well as to strengthen partnerships between Zambia and Finland.

This initiative is established together with the AGS program and Demola Global to create new capacity and networks and bringing together companies (especially MSMEs), higher-education institutions and other stakeholders to an inspiring co-creation process.

Co-creation is a layer of interaction at the grassroots level that constantly generates new relationships, innovation sparks and a culture of cooperation. The purpose of co-creation activities is to serve as a ground base for the enablers of knowledge valorisation.

With our approach we specifically aim at:

• Strengthening participants' professional identity, creative skills and increase innovation capacity through team-based co-creation
• Increasing participating companies' capabilities and conditions for success through future projects that produce concrete scenarios as well as validated product and service concepts
• Facilitating interdisciplinary networking and knowledge exchange between company personnel, researchers and HEI students
• Creating conditions for the creation of new companies and entrepreneurial activity by the teams