COOPERATION – The ANIMA network launches Euromed Clusters Forward, a new regional program to support innovation and competitiveness
Published on 06 July 2022
The ANIMA network met from 21 to 24 June 2022 in Tunis for its annual conference and organized a series of events on the sidelines of Tunisia Investment Forum, in association with the CONECT and FIPA Tunisia. These 4 days of events (workshops, training, conference and B2B meetings) have reunited nearly 200 economic actors from 25 countries of the Mediterranean, Europe, and Africa. This sequence is an opportunity to highlight the impact of THE NEXT SOCIETY initiative after 5 years of intense collaboration for innovation in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The Euromed Clusters Forward project, successor of THE NEXT SOCIETY, is officially launched. It will focus on strengthening clusters and developing Europe-Mediterranean value chains.
This sequence of events reunited ANIMA network members and partner communities involved in the implementation of key initiatives for economic development in the Mediterranean such as those associated with the European projects THE NEXT SOCIETY, EBSOMED, Euromed Clusters Forward.
5 years of collaboration and success for innovation in the Mediterranean
June 22 was the occasion to celebrate the success of THE NEXT SOCIETY, which aims to promote and strengthen innovation ecosystems in the Mediterranean. Since 5 years, this initiative co-financed by the European Union and coordinated by ANIMA, supported by 60 partners and associates has brought together a community of more than 500 economic actors in the service of innovation (clusters, startups, technology transfer offices, etc.) from 15 different countries.
It has created more than 260 jobs, trained more than 2200 beneficiaries, directly impacted regulatory frameworks and produced nearly 250 concrete recommendations for new services or national policies. In addition, 30 startups have raised more than 5 million euros, while some 100 technological partnerships or business contracts were signed during the implementation period.
Signature of the Euromed Clusters Forward project: one more step towards an innovative, competitive and inclusive Euro-Mediterranean region
Through this new regional project co-financed by the European Union, the business and innovation community mobilized through THE NEXT SOCIETY intends to continue promoting inclusive innovation and competitiveness in the Euromed region. Through an ambitious action plan that will run until 2026, led by ANIMA and its partners, Berytech (Lebanon), Economic Research Forum (Egypt) and Qeiadat (Palestine), the project will deploy actions aimed at placing clusters at the heart of the social and ecological economy, transforming economies to generate positive impacts for society, and developing circular value chains in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Four days of meetings and economic exchanges in Tunis
Among the highlights of this sequence, a day dedicated to technology transfer, a training seminar in the framework of the EBSOMED project, as well as the holding of a new edition of #TechDays, scheduled meetings between Clusters Europe – MENA and business organizations to encourage cooperation partnerships and meetings between the main actors of innovation and industry in the EU and MENA region (clusters, technology poles, public and private organizations supporting investment and innovation, etc.). More than 40 cluster representatives have already confirmed their attendance in Tunis!
Participants continueted their discussions at the Tunisia Investment Forum organized by FIPA Tunisia on June 23 and 24, 2022. This 20th edition presented the new trends in reforms and competitive values in Tunisia and brought together economic actors around round tables and networking sessions.