WORK TANK
AFRICA – EUROPE
a platform connecting the two continents.
We contribute to shape a common future – secure, sustainable, transformative, unbiased,
as a win-win situation for all involved.
WORK TANK AFRICA – EUROPE
A platform connecting the two continents
Globalization and digitization have changed the world. The dominance of the West has come to an end. An interlinked global society has emerged, with Africa and Europe as a central axis. As neighbouring continents, they are bound together through expanding networks of people, organizations and ever more sophisticated economic and political value chains. This creates opportunities as well as challenges on an unprecedented basis.
In Africa, globalization and digitization are happening on a greenfield. A digital transformation with different innovations takes place. Fewer old technologies and less vested interests allow new solutions to emerge, closer to human needs. New patterns of African contributions to the globalized world are emerging. The emerging middle class is doubling or tripling within the next 15 years - unleashing further self-enforcing dynamics and new highlights.
At the same time, population dynamics, environmental pressures and political environments on both sides are changing and often posing their own challenges for safety, prosperity or sustainability. This requires working out appropriate solutions and fostering respective co-operation to ensure a long-term balance.
Work Tank - creating values
Our member companies create values for their customers. Our platform connects these values and creates synergies for communities, regions and countries. As an independent partner, Work Tank Africa - Europe works with academia, governments, the private sector and civil society to examine entrenched sustainability challenges, identify new opportunities and initiate innovative solutions.
We facilitate discussions on how Africa and Europe can shape a common future – secure, sustainable, transformative, unbiased and as a win-win situation for all involved.
Work Tank - a networking platform
Our member companies and individual members are “T-shaped”. We come from a variety of backgrounds and have a broad generalist knowledge about African and European countries, their economies and their societies.
Additionally, we are specialists in different fields – engineering, management, communication, PR, sales, marketing, media, IT, ... – and each of us has his or her own special access to the African continent, to different regions. Many of us spent years living in African countries and have been successfully networking between the continents.
Diversity is our strength.
We act as intermediaries between cultures and regions. And between us, the members. We exchange knowledge from our different fields, information about different regions and projects, and contacts to access and act. We contribute to establish a new ecosystem of African-European collaboration, with purpose-driven organizations and agile-minded people ready for real co-creation.
Work Tank - an action platform
In different groupings – small or big - our members join and do business.
Europeans in Africa, Africans in Europe – together. We enhance and reinforce our access to local people, alleviate cultural barriers, and create values for all stakeholders involved.
Interested? Leave us a note here.
THE WORK TANK EXPERTS
The Work Tank Experts with profound skills, as well as the best local knowledge and customs of different countries and cultures, enable you to move with ease. Due to our experts’ individual experiences on the continent, you gain many different insights. On a strategic as well as operational level, it is a pleasure for us to participate in the commissioning of new projects and ventures, to form partnerships and alliances and to actively contribute to solving problems that make it easier for governments, entrepreneurs and individuals
to interact on the two continents - in both ways.
THOMAS
KUKOVEC
I’m a plant biologist and represent an Austrian agribusiness in Africa and the Mediterranean region, where I have alternately lived and worked during the past years.
I strongly believe in the importance of old-school fieldwork and without the “sectarian blinders” of my NGO past, I got a much better understanding of given realities in Africa. I produced a documentary on “land grabbing” and currently also advice local governments on agricultural production.
I’m a member of the Italian Geographical Society and have a particular research interest in semi-arid and tropical agriculture.
GUDRUN
SAGEDER
20 years of living and working in Africa and the Middle East have broadened my horizons considerably.
I have held a number of diverse roles: Training manager for two thousand employees, Founder and CEO of PIERRE PROTECT - a company in the construction industry in Tunis, Business Development Manager for a OPTEX - a Japanese group for Africa and D-A-CH and since 2024 "GoodRun Sunshine", based in Mozambique, promoting a global preventative health concept.
CHRISTOPH
GRETZMACHER
Born in Vienna, raised in Africa -
I have been active in West African countries for over 20 years. During my long stays in Africa, I was able to acquire a broad knowledge and understanding of culture.
As a longtime Africa-Specialist and PR-Consultant, advising national governments, government-related institutions and companies, in how to implement their economic and social goals, I founded my consulting agency in 2016.
ANNA
OLADEJO
As a cultural and social anthropologist, I am interested in how people's lives relate towards their respective socioeconomic environment and cultural background.
In the process of furthering
my understanding, I have been connected to people from various African countries for more than 25 years and extensively traveled West Africa.
Experienced copywriter and marketing consultant with key insights into African culture. Owner of a Communication Agency for companies exporting to African Markets.
FERDINAND
KOVACIC
After a start as economist
in academia, I spent my professional career in the research-based international pharmaceuticals business, enjoying a broad portfolio of functional, leadership and
on-the-ground experiences.
My own independent service boutique offers a purposefully neo-generalist mix of Research, Strategic Project Management and Organisational Development in the areas of global business, organisation and working life.
HANS
STOISSER
I am the founder of ECOTEC with long lasting experiences
in emerging countries, specifically in Africa.
In my book “Der Schwarze Tiger” I put forward why
Europe has missed to link up with modern Africa and
what could be done instead.
At ECOTEC we organize Learning Journeys to “Digital Africa” and help to build
good working collaborations between African and
European companies.
MELITA H.
SUNJIC
I have been in communications for 40 years, 25 of which in UNHCR. During that time I worked numerous communication related positions many of which were related to campaigning. Recently I started my communication agency Transcultural Communication, which advises governments and international organizations in the development of campaigns for refugees and migrants. In my academic capacity I regularly teach courses on strategic communication at the Vienna University, Media and Communications Department.
HILDEGARD
MADER
I am a specialist in Middle
Eastern and oriental studies, having lived and worked in Iraq and Egypt for five years. After my return, I used to work as the Director of International Offices at universities in Dresden, Freiburg and Vienna and travelled frequently to North Africa and different Arab countries, as international project manager. 2013 I took up the position of a University Lecturer at WU, teaching a course about the “Business Environment in the Arab World”, with focus on intercultural and Islamic economy.
KARL - HANS
POLZHOFER
I have gained my experience from more than 25 years as managing director in construction related businesses. Since 2011 I have been the honorary consul of the consulate of the Republic of Mozambique in Austria.
My economic, social and political contacts in both countries, Austria and Mozambique, guarantee the security of investments. For every problem there is a solution, for every idea a way. In 2018, together with the board members and the support of friends & companies, I founded the Austrian-Mozambican Society. Craftsman training, know-how and technology transfers from Europe to Africa are my motivation and my ambitious goals.
TITUS
LEBER
I´m an Award-winning filmmaker, writer and director and a former MIT Research Fellow specialising in conceiving and creating large scale interactive multimedia-projects dealing with cultural heritage. Recently I have launched the initiative “Africa Interactive“ aiming at preserving and disseminating Africa´s cultural heritage via modern smart media and communication technologies. I´m member of the European Cultural Parliament and the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
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ANDREA
STEFFAL
After being in
leadership positions for NGOs
in the Balkans and in Lebanon,
I was working in hospital management in Gabon.
There, I got a deep understanding of the “real African life” with all its hardships but also opportunities and the wide-spread “entrepreneurial spirit” of the people. Back in Vienna, I founded Diboty Consulting, with the aim to show the big potential of Africa and its people, prepare and coach Europeans for and during their assignments on the African Continent, and do management, team and/ or founders training where needed.