MED BUSINESS DAYS 2023 addresses challenges, opportunities for green transition in Mediterranean basin

CAIRO — Within the framework of the EBSOMED project, BUSINESSMED collaborated with its member, the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), to organise the "MED BUSINESS DAYS 2023" in Cairo, Egypt, on February 15-16, 2023.

The event focused on the theme "In the wake of COP27, how can the private sector address climate change and promote green growth?"

COP27 was held in Sharm El Shaikh, Egypt, a Mediterranean country, where the international community finalized an agreement to finance damages suffered by vulnerable countries due to climate disasters. The conference highlighted the pressing challenges facing the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The European Union has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and has increased its focus on environmental protection and sustainable development through its "Green Deal". This change in growth strategy will have an impact not only on EU members but also on the entire value chains of the Mediterranean basin.

The event was inaugurated by Barbara Beltrame the president of BUSINESSMED and by a representative of the European Commission in Egypt.

The MED BUSINESS DAYS 2023 offered various sessions including keynote speeches, panels, discussions, B2B meetings and networking opportunities. It provided an excellent opportunity to define common grounds and innovative solutions to foster a green transition, with panelists from different backgrounds, organizations such as banks, international organizations and businesses, with a south-north regional approach.

The event aimed to address the challenges and opportunities for the Mediterranean basin related to the green transition and to highlight the opportunity for stakeholders and investors of the migration towards a sustainable economy.

The second day of the event consisted of two parts:

The first part aimed at understanding the status quo of the Mediterranean private sector in the green transition, with discussions and exchanges between experts and private sector representatives to define concrete recommendations and best practices to promote green growth opportunities. The green transition requires a strong private sector to support SMEs and businesses in terms of technology and available financing.

The second part included a special workshop, "Business Talks", dedicated to the exchange between companies and business gas pedals. This session aimed to engage in an interactive discussion between economic operators and financial institutions, investors and business incubators.

Participants were divided into three working groups, each moderated by a partner SEO. The one on renewable energies and waste management was moderated by ICEALEX, the one on innovative digital solutions by WESTERWELLE, and the one on agribusiness and agritech was moderated by BERYTECH.

The companies discussed their specific needs in terms of technical and financial support, while the business support institutions suggested solutions and services that could meet the needs expressed. Each group then presented its main findings and recommendations to the other groups.