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BLUEINVEST AFRICA 2022

 

The Blue Economy sectors and the maritime resources of the African continent have an immense potential for sustainable development and sustainable exploitation of marine resources, which were recognised in the last decade by African countries and put forward by the strategies of the continent and of the coastal countries’ governments and island nations.

Its unlocked potential for development needs promotion and investments, which will further lead to “blue growth”. With interests visibly aligned regarding the development of the Blue Economy, the European Union and Africa are “allies”.

In this context, the auspicious event named ‘BlueInvest Africa’ is one that provides the opportunity for investment in the Blue Economy sectors of coastal maritime African countries and island nations in the Indian Ocean and will be a meeting and exchange point for investment parties, pooled across Europe and Africa, with African based entrepreneurs, small-scale businesses, start-ups, business projects and initiatives with the common interest to develop sustainable products and services in Blue Economy and related sectors.
This event will be held from the 7-8 September 2022 at the Eden Bleu Hotel, Seychelles. English and French will be the event languages. Interpretation (English <> French) will be available during the event for on-site and remote attendees.

The event will take place in Seychelles as it is a leading country in the development of the Blue Economy and has managed to place the Blue Economy at the core of its development.
The blue economy is a very broad concept that encompasses all maritime activities and sectors, both traditional—like fisheries—and emerging—like blue biotechnology—, whether they are based in the marine environment (e.g. shipping, energy generation) or on land (e.g. coastal tourism, ports, land-based aquaculture). If compared to a national economy, the global blue economy would be the seventh-largest in the world, providing millions of direct jobs and generating significant revenues. The potential of the blue economy is huge. If put on a sustainable path, the blue economy can become a font of actions and ideas creating innovation, protecting natural resources and supporting a fast and lasting recovery from the pandemic. The event results from a partnership between the European Union and Seychelles, a country that has set the blue economy as a priority for its successful development. Both Africa and Europe have identified the blue economy as a key sector to develop their socio-economic aspirations and achieve the different goals of the 2030 Agenda, notably SDG 14 (Life below water). This event will be in line with the principles of EU-Africa cooperation. Those principles rely on addressing the needs of the African population not just in terms of food security but also on sustainable development and growing economic opportunities available to all.

BlueInvest Africa is targeting registered African business companies that are already operating in the various sectors of the blue economy, including start-ups. It also targets the African Small Micro and Medium-sized businesses (SMMEs) officially established in an African country bearing an innovative idea subject to further commercial development within the African market.

A total of 150 on-site persons are expected to participate in the event together with remote attendees from Africa and Europe, including investors and entrepreneurs. This event will generate business contacts and opportunities to develop a network of potential partners while allowing exchanges of best practices and ideas.
With this first-ever BlueInvest edition outside Europe, the objective is to showcase the African potential, foster entrepreneurship and participation of the private and public sectors in the fast-developing sector of Blue Economy in Africa and promote innovative sustainable solutions.

The programme of this two-day international Business to Business hybrid event will consist of pitching sessions, site visits to Seychellois blue economy projects, B2B meetings, exhibitions showcasing small-scale African projects and networking moments between participants which will enable them to meet a maximum of potential future partners. Matchmaking between investors and entrepreneurs, in the form of pitching sessions, will be at the core of the event.