Science and education communities around the world depend on e-infrastructures and on broadband connectivity, which has become a basic infrastructure of modern society, just like roads, electricity or water.

Developing regions stand to benefit in particular as broadband networks reduce the barriers of distance and location, allowing scientists to be ‘linked’ the world over, and allowing international access to valuable work and databases in developing countries for research on critical areas such as health, HIV/AIDS and environmental change, all highly relevant to the MDGs.

However, whilst Africa is now the fastest growing region for e-infrastructure development, the lack of accurate knowledge on past and ongoing investments in e-infrastructure initiatives on the ground has created many uncertainties for the coordination of investments in the region.

By mapping all e-infrastructures development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, i-Mentors will enhance the effectiveness and coherence of national and EU research policies and international cooperation efforts in the field of research infrastructures.

iMentors is a project funded by the European Commission’s DG Information Society and Media under the 7th Framework Programme.

For more information, see project web site at http://www.imentors.eu/