More than 3,000 participants, 280 speakers and experts, 250 startups and 50 investors from 70 countries crossed the Mediterranean by road, sea or air to attend the 7th edition of Emerging Valley. This year, the Euro-African tech event once again provided an opportunity to build bridges between European and African public, private and institutional players in the world of innovation and technology. Over the years, this event has contributed to making the city of Marseille and its metropolitan area a Euro-African innovation hub. In 2022, the City of Marseille has been awarded the title of European Capital of Innovation by the European Commission.
"The acceleration of climate change presents us with a new challenge”
In the face of the multiple crises - economic, climatic and geopolitical – that the world is experiencing, "innovation is becoming a decisive weapon in our efforts to adapt," notes Laurent Lhardit, deputy mayor of Marseille in charge of the ecological transition. "Our worlds as entrepreneurs and political leaders, our realities, have been turned upside down by these crises. Today, the acceleration of climate change presents us with a new challenge. Here in Emerging Valley, companies from Europe and Africa are coming together to think about these issues. And Marseille is making its contribution." Laurent Lhardit also underlines "the incredible destiny of this city, which is gradually becoming the capital of creation by building on what has always been its strength: its population, which comes from all over the world, but mainly from the African continent."
The 7th edition of Emerging Valley, the Euro-African tech event once again provided an opportunity to build bridges between European and African public, private and institutional players in the world of innovation and technology@Emerging Valley
"The largest metropolis in France, the leading economic center in the South of France, the largest port in France, the fifth largest digital hub in the world..." adds Vincent Languille, Aix-Marseille-Provence (AMP) Councilor for Foreign Trade.
A city increasingly focused on Africa
"Africa is a major challenge for our region, given our geographical location and the human and historical links that unite us. With its key assets - France's leading port and the number one digital hub for Africa - Marseille accounts for 20% of African investment in France. We have a business school that is very involved in Africa, three technology parks, including The Camps (where the conference was held), and 350 African start-ups take part in innovation competitions in the region every year... This is a huge challenge for both sides of the Mediterranean in terms of prosperity and innovation. We need to make the most of all the talent working in Africa and strengthen our position as a Euro-African technology hub," explains Vincent Languille. Ambitious projects such as the Accélérateur M, due to be launched in 2019, and Emerging Valley, which has positioned itself from the outset to turn Marseille into a technology hub, are part of this ambition.
Soft landing Provence Africa Connect, a new incubation program
"Successful collaborations have been established between African and European startups through joint acceleration programs, in collaboration with local structures such as Accélérateur M or Marseille Innovation, and through research and development partnerships," said the master of ceremonies, Samir Abdelkrim, founder of Emerging Valley and head of Startup BRICS, a blog tank dedicated to innovation made in Africa. The "Soft Landing Provence Africa Connect" program run by Aix-Marseille-Provence as part of Emerging Valley is a perfect example of this dynamic. During this 2023 edition of Emerging Valley, a session entitled 'Innovating in Provence with Aix-Marseille-Provence, European Capital of Innovation' was held to present the new support schemes for African start-ups in Provence.
These included Soft Landing Provence Africa Connect, launched by Accélérateur M. This is the first innovative hosting and support program specifically designed for innovative African companies wishing to establish themselves in mainland France. Between ten and twelve of the most relevant and promising projects will be hosted in 2024, focusing mainly on greentech, healthtech, bluetech, CCI (cultural and creative industries) and agritech. This should further strengthen the links between the Phocaean region and Africa, while contributing to the local and international development of African startups.
