Ocean Innovation Africa Summit 2020

The Event – Africa’s Ocean Innovation Summit

Ocean Innovation Africa is a platform that showcases African initiatives and brings together international entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, businesses, and leaders that are working towards creating a positive impact on our Oceans.

We believe that innovations led by science, technology, and entrepreneurship will provide the necessary leverage points to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), at the right pace and scale. By addressing the issues of sustainable Oceans economy and Oceans conservation, our event seeks to find solutions linking up to almost all SDGs in addition to SDG14 – Life Below Water.

Our focus stems from a passion and the need for efficient, impactful action: at the current pace, SDGs objectives would only be met by 2094 instead of 2030! Oceans are the heart and lungs of our planet, it is crucial – and now urgent – to support the development and adoption of new sustainable ocean solutions that will shape better interactions between people and the Earth’s largest ecosystem.

In the recovery of the recent COVID-19-related crisis, Oceans have also a key role to play by keeping trade moving between nations and providing sustainable energy and healthy food for all.

Mission

Bring together the thought leaders and stakeholders of the ocean economy, demonstrate the economic viability of a decidedly more sustainable blue economy in Africa, and inspire ocean-conscious entrepreneurs.

Challenge

Showcase 1,000 African ocean-impact innovations over the next ten years, connect them to the world to support grow their impact.

Impact

Innovations have the potential to deliver system-level impact, substantially contributing to solving ocean pollution, ocean overexploitation, and climate change, at a magnitude and pace matching those of the ocean crisis.

Why attend?

Unleash the Power of African Ocean Innovators

”We depend on our Oceans as much as they depend on us.“

Oceans are the life support of our planet. They drive our climate, provide food and water to all living things, and connect our continents. The annual value of the global Ocean’s Economy (formal and informal) is estimated at $2.5 trillion and was expected to grow substantially, doubling by 2030. However, our societies are already generating tremendous stress and strain onto these ecosystems and this vast untapped economic potential needs to be addressed in a radically more sustainable manner. We believe it is down to businesses to implement that change and up to us to promote more Oceans-conscious innovative businesses.

Africa offers a particularly high potential in terms of Blue Economy developments, paving the way to ocean community-based resource management and offering an ideal ground to test and scale impact innovation. Africa’s Blue/ocean economy – three times the size of its landmass – is on top of the continent political agenda and seen to be a major contributor to continental transformation and growth, through knowledge on marine and aquatic biotechnology, the growth of the pan-African shipping industry, the development of sea transport and fishing, etc.

To embark on the journey towards sustainable development in Africa effectively means we have to reach the SDGs within the planetary boundaries. The development of the Blue Economy is an immensely important first step towards creating Sustainable Development pathways that enables this. The world is currently falling behind and not only have to “try harder”, but must embrace a disruptive transformation that innovative technologies and new business models can drive – otherwise development will stall.