Jacquelene Friedenthal
Speaker at AMLD Africa 2026
Jacquelene “Jackie” Friedenthal is the Science and Technology Counsellor at the Embassy of Switzerland in South Africa, where she advances Switzerland–South Africa collaboration in education, research and innovation through science diplomacy. She works across government, academia, industry and innovation ecosystems to enable strategic partnerships, support joint programmes, and strengthen talent and mobility pathways. Her work has been recognised with the Science Diplomacy Award for Individual Contribution to Transformative International Science Partnerships with South Africa. At AMLD Africa 2026, she will introduce the Swiss–South Africa ERI partnership landscape and highlight the Academia–Industry Training (AIT) Programme in partnership with the University of Basel as a practical model for building industry-relevant skills and accelerating innovation outcomes.
At AMLD Africa
WITS University, Johannesburg, South Africa
Swiss South Africa Collaboration in Research and Innovation
A fast-paced overview of Swiss–South African science, innovation and AI collaboration, linking partnership milestones to practical tech-transfer lessons. It introduces key instruments (Innosuisse, Leading House Africa, scholarships and multilateral programmes), highlights engagement through AI Expo.
