The Bank of Italy and partner institutions have announced the third African Economic Development Conference, to be held in Rome on Jan. 28-29, 2027. The event will bring together economists and policymakers to examine how regional integration can support Africa’s economic development and structural transformation. The organizers are seeking research on areas including regional value chains, cross-border infrastructure, intra-African investment and capital flows, labor mobility, industrial policy, sustainability, regional institutions, digitalization and artificial intelligence. Full papers are due by Sept. 15, 2026, at 20:00 CEST, with selected authors to be notified by Oct. 30, 2026.