Mali is taking a new step in its technological development strategy. President Assimi Goïta inaugurated on Monday, September 21, the new site of the Mali Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CIAR-Mali), located in Kati-Sirakoro Niaré, near Bamako.
Initially valued at 3.3 billion CFA francs, or just over five million euros, the project aims to make CIAR-Mali a hub for training, research and innovation capable of meeting the country’s scientific, economic and industrial needs.
A Project Launched in 2022
The idea of creating this center dates back to September 2022, when the Malian authorities announced the establishment of a technological center of excellence dedicated to science, mathematics and engineering. The foundation stone for the project was laid on June 7, 2023.
A few months later, CIAR-Mali was officially established by an ordinance dated August 4, 2023, as a public scientific and technological institution.
Its mission is multifaceted: to provide initial and continuing education, develop research, establish scientific and technological partnerships and design solutions based on artificial intelligence and robotics.
The initial project included the development of a 50-hectare site, with five hectares dedicated to buildings. Six blocks were notably planned to house administrative and educational services, research facilities, dormitories, an amphitheater, an infirmary, as well as a workshop for the manufacture and assembly of intelligent systems.
From Health to Mining, Applications Across Several Sectors
The Malian authorities want research conducted within the center to lead to practical applications in several strategic sectors.
Health, agriculture, the environment, mining, energy and industry are among the targeted areas. Robotics and artificial intelligence are also expected to be used in the defense and security sectors.
CIAR-Mali also aims to promote access for girls and women to scientific and technological training.
The First Students Have Already Been Trained
The inauguration of the new site comes as the center had already begun its educational activities. The first students were admitted in 2025.
According to the activity report presented to its board of directors in March 2026, the first cohorts included 54 undergraduate students and 40 high school graduates enrolled in a preparatory program.
For the 2026-2027 academic year, the center planned 40 new places in the first year of the integrated preparatory program, dedicated to mathematics, physics and engineering sciences. The entrance examination had been scheduled for September 15 at the Mamby Sidibé public high school in Kati.
Training Locally to Reduce Technological Dependence
Through CIAR-Mali, Bamako aims to strengthen its national pool of scientists, engineers and researchers and promote the development of technologies adapted to the country’s realities.
When the project was launched, the authorities presented the center as a "first of its kind” institution in Mali’s public sector. This claim must, however, be viewed within a landscape where other initiatives, such as RobotsMali, were already helping to train young people in robotics technologies and supporting their participation in international competitions.
The real challenge now begins as the center enters its operational phase. The number of permanent teacher-researchers, computing capacities, annual operating budget and scientific partnerships, in particular, remain to be specified.
Beyond the inauguration, CIAR-Mali’s performance will therefore be measured by its results: the quality of its training programs, scientific output, partnerships developed and, above all, its ability to transform research conducted in its laboratories into practical solutions for Mali.