At least 3,000 participants, including businessmen, start-ups and local elected representatives from Europe and Africa, are expected in Marseille, France, for the Emerging Valley summit. The seventh edition opens on 18 November 2023 with the usual aim of creating synergies for the sustainable development of both continents through technology.
On 28 and 29 November 2023, the French city of Marseille will be reclaiming its title of European Innovation Capital. The seventh Emerging Valley summit will focus on digital solutions for sustainable development. Carbon neutrality by 2030 for cities in Africa and Europe will be a major topic of discussion, according to the organisers. Other themes will also be addressed, such as “How can modern technologies help to preserve and enhance biodiversity in the face of natural risks? or “Faced with the current geopolitical and climate challenges, how can we build a sustainable food future using Agritech?
“Emerging Valley 2023 will address societal, economic and environmental challenges, and will highlight the concrete solutions that digital companies on both continents can provide in the face of increasing crises (climate and energy, editor’s note)”, explains its founder Samir Abdelkrim. The event is supported by the Paris-based Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) and by Euroméditérannée, the French public development body.
Among the speakers expected in Marseille are Marieme Diop, Regional Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for French-speaking Africa, Claude Borna, Managing Director and Head of Innovation at the Sèmè City Development Agency in Benin, Mamadou Touré, Ivory Coast’s Minister for Youth Promotion and Employment, and Jean Van Wetter, Director General of the Belgian Development Agency (ENABEL).
At the sixth Emerging Valley in 2022, two African start-ups were awarded the Med Innovant Africa prize for their sustainable development projects. The first was Wayout Ecological Solutions, which developed the “Zigofiltre” solution to reinforce the sewage networks of 11 Tunisian communes at risk of flooding during the rainy season. The second Congolese start-up, GreenBox, won a prize for its solar-powered fridge, which helps to reduce food waste. In 2023, two other African ideas will receive awards in Marseille.
For more information on the event, click here.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
