This session is designed to foster a dialogue between researchers and policymakers from Africa and Italy. Structured as a moderated panel, it will provide a platform for academics and practitioners to discuss actionable strategies to address economic challenges and effectively leverage opportunities on the continent. The conversation will focus on two key pillars of the Mattei Plan—Energy and Agriculture/Agribusiness—both critical to Africa’s future. Researchers will share applied insights from ongoing or completed studies relevant to these areas, whether directly focused on Africa or offering transferable lessons from other contexts. Policymakers will reflect on how such evidence can inform decisions on investments, reforms, and policies. The panel aims to surface key research questions that need to be addressed to ensure current and future policy decisions are grounded in robust, context-specific knowledge. This session will also serve as a first step toward the AGORA Conference (Africa Growth and Opportunity – Research in Action), co-organized by the World Bank Group’s Institute for Economic Development and the Bank of Italy, which will be held in Palermo, November 3–5, 2025. AGORA aspires to become an annual platform that connects research and policy to co-develop evidence-based solutions. It will integrate Italy’s development priorities within broader global frameworks, helping ensure that initiatives like the Mattei Plan evolve from concept into tangible, collaborative action. The SITES panel will serve as a launchpad for shaping the research agenda to be presented and further elaborated at AGORA.