On July 10 and 11, 2023, INVESTMED partners celebrated the closure of the project’s activities in Barcelona, Spain. The event was organized by the European Institute of the Mediterranean and the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association - EMEA in collaboration with BUSINESSMED. It brought together the various stakeholders who addressed the successes and the challenges faced by the Mediterranean MSMEs, and consequently explored future opportunities for sustainable growth.
On the first day, participants focused on the policy recommendations to create an enabling environment and enhance the financing schemes. The report stressed as well the importance of incubation and acceleration programs for business development to pave the way for future growth and innovation.
The second day featured stimulating peer-to-peer workshops where attendees actively participated in group discussions. A series of topics were covered focusing on agriculture strategies, tourism development, arts-culture synergies, export strategies, agri-tech, circular economy, and sustainable construction. These workshops fostered synergies, identified common ground, and offered valuable case study insights.
The event concluded with a presentation of the working sessions’ results and field visits organized to the involved start-ups and hubs operating in the green, blue economy, and creative industries.
INVESTMED project aims at addressing both economic and environmental challenges, supporting new, sustainable business opportunities for young people and women in three countries: Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia. It is set to positively impact MSMEs which staff will be trained and coached to become more competitive, as well as public authorities which capacities will be strengthened to facilitate access and protect Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
