News

In November 2023, Access2innovation had the pleasure of facilitating two workshops in Uganda on Responsible Business Conduct. The workshops were based on the principles outlined in UN Global Compact Guidelines and focused on topics related to human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. These types of trainings are mandatory for projects supported by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More than 30 people from 17 local organizations, companies, and cooperatives participated in...

Access2innovation’s CEO, Karin Elisabeth Lind, and program manager, Inge Myrthue, just got back from five intense days in Kenya and Uganda. They travelled to meet with project partners and other stakeholders of importance to access2innovation and to the success of two new projects expected to start in January 2024. The projects will be financed by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Danida Green Business Partnerships. In Kenya, Inge and Karin facilitated a workshop to finalize the...

Are you an experienced and driven project coordinator – with a business mindset focusing on the end market and a passion to advance e-mobility solutions in Kampala? As the project coordinator, you will play a critical role in facilitating the execution of a time-sensitive emobility project ‘Green Hub Kampala’ to be implemented by access2innovation together with companies Kjaer Group (MOTORCARE Uganda) and Nexus Green Ltd. Access2innovation is a Danish organization with offices in Denmark and...

Meet a new A2i-member: Vibeke Munk Petersen, Team Leader in the Sierra Leone – Denmark Houses and Community Partnership Program. “Our goal is together with our partnership organizations in Sierra Leone to provide 2,000 new homes, The homes must be affordable, safe, and sustainable. Also, our project must include a job creation module, where focus is on using local successful entrepreneurs to create local jobs - to ensure long-term economic stability, so people will be able to pay a rent, send...

Meet Henrik Anker-Ladefoged and more of the good people behind out Grain-project in Uganda in this edition of the Uganda UBC News Tonight: Watch it here (starting 48 minutes into the program). The project is supported by Danida Green Business Partnerships / Danida Market Development Partnerships, and also includes BM Silo, ENGSKO A/S, Gl. Buurholt, Opportunity International, AG - PLOUTOS COMPANY LIMITED and Landbrug & Fødevarer.

We are looking forward to the 10th African Grain Trade Summit (AGTS), October 4-7 in Kampala. Here, the chairperson of the board of Access2innovation, CEO Henrik Wollesen, Engsko A/S, will be one of the speakers. The Summit is an internationally-recognized, high-level, policy conference that attracts high level policymakers, influential industry practitioners and leading researchers in the grain sector from across Africa and beyond for discussions about key grain industry issues and developing...

  Our delegation trip to Kenya and Tanzania in September 2023 is now well completed. Among others, the companies Engsko, Neisig Organics, Gl. Buurholt, Soacha, KIOO Water, and Stein Consulting visited relevant companies, public authorities, and industry organizations. They all bring back hands-on information about local business possibilities. The group also visited the Danish Embassy in Tanzania and had a great afternoon together with the Danish Ambassador to Tanzania, Mette...

On Wednesday, October 4th, more than 70 people will gather in Protea Hotel in Kampala for the official, local launch of Access2innovation's project 'Integrated Grain Handling Project for rural communities in Uganda', which is financed by Danida Market Development Partnerships. Representatives from most of the partners in the project will be present: AG Ploutos, Opportunity International, BM Silo, Gl. Buurholt, Engsko, and of course Access2innovation. The launch will also include a field trip...

To improve our insights into the African markets, A2I invites one or two students at master level to conduct a study in collaboration with us, of the business models and strategies that Danish firms have and are using to enter and penetrate African markets.  Read more about the project and how you apply under here. Project: Business Models for African Markets – experiences from Danish firms Few firms have African markets as their main markets, and little is known on how to successfully enter...

A warm welcome to our new program manager, Inge Myrthue.  Inge Myrthue has more than 20 years of experience working with Sales, business development, and establishing strategic partnerships in a multi-cultural setting in Emerging markets. She has tendered technical projects to governments, the UN, and larger Key Accounts and has experience in the on-site implementation of the activities. Inge specialized in dialogue, negotiation, and building of complex and long-term partnerships with the...

A warm welcome to all our new network members: • Afrika Consultancy• Baobab Consult• Bedre Syn til Afrika• Care Danmark• CISU• Dansk Forum for Mikrofinans• Lake Victoria Vanilla• Nounours Holding• Seniorer uden Grænser• Stein Consulting• The Sierra Leone - Denmark Houses and Community Partnership ProgramARKITEKTURVÆRKSTEDET ApS• Unicef Danmark  "As a network member, you become part of the Access2innovation community and support the organization at the same time. We are happy to welcome...

Meet an A2i member: BACESS/Rootzone Group “It is such a pity! Imagine how much good bio-fertilizer you can make from the leftovers from an ordinary African market. Piles of leaves, cuts from the vegetables and fruits and all other kinds of organic waste. It is just thrown out or burned. All the produce that is not sold soon degrades in the heat. All this waste we can transform into great bio-fertilizer. Which is just what the African farmer needs. There is a huge lack of good bio-fertilizer in...

?Access2innovation Partnership Day: Danish Business Opportunities on the African Markets – What are the Opportunities Now and in the Future? With this partnership day, we zoom in on what it takes to create better opportunities for Danish companies on the African continent. What are the visions of the policy makers? What do companies want? What are the experiences? And what does it take for Danish companies to succeed in the African markets? Register here. Time: 27. April at 09:30-12:00am...

Access2innovation has opened an office in Copenhagen! Find us at Symbion, Fruebjergvej 3, 2100 Copenhagen. We look forward to seeing you here, in our office in Aalborg or in our office in Kampala, Uganda in Shiriki House.

As a special offer to our members, Access2innovation offers a member discount on several consultancy and compliance & business support services that help international organizations starting up operations and projects in East Africa. This is a part of our cooperation with Shiriki House, who houses our new office in Kampala. Shiriki House offers attractive and fully furnished, private offices with free access to common services and spaces such as front office, meeting facilities, café,...

Karin Elisabeth Lind will take over as CEO of Foreningen Access2innovation on 1 February 2023.The new CEO has more than 20 years of experience in building and facilitating partnerships and consortia, most recently from Folkekirkens Nødhjælp (DanChurchAid). Here and elsewhere, she has completed large projects together with such diverse partners as NGOs, companies, public institutions, and networks. In Access2innovation, together with members and the secretariat, she will promote innovative...

DanChurchAid's head of private sector engagement, Gitte Dyrhagen Husager, will talk about the learnings that DCA has made over the last many years when investing on the operationalization of partnership-driven business development in poor and fragile countries. She will share some critical reflections on the journey, that DCA has been on for the last five years, when seeking to combine a civil society and business mind-set to develop innovative partnership models that are socially,...

The EU is stressing the potential of Kenya and Tanzania as two key emerging markets in Africa by organizing the first ever EU Business Forums in the two countries.  Together with fellow EU countries, Denmark is supporting this initiative to increase trade and investment. In connection with the forums, Denmark, the Netherlands, and local Kenyan partners are organizing a 1-day Circular Economy Expo showcasing international and local solutions. EU-Kenya Business Forum aims to foster European...

Get 10 valuable findings from the innovation and partnership black box from expert Jacob Ravn, founder and former CEO, Access2innovation. In recent years, partnership driven innovation has emerged as the approach in driving the development and scaling of the needed sustainable solutions in Africa. But unfortunately, the understanding of “how to partnership” is still limited and fragmented. This despite the fact that research shows that successful innovation increases when combining resources,...

"It has been absolutely crucial to have a business partner who knows the African market in every nook and cranny. In this case, it is Access2innovation, which is a Danish platform for innovative, sustainable, commercial solutions for growth markets in developing countries." The words come from Claus Martinsen from BM Silo, who is interviewed in several Danish papers about our Grain project. Read the interview here. Read about the DMDP project here.   The project is financed by DMDP,...

Congratulations to Kioo Water Re-fill Kiosks who has been chosen for the finals of SDG Tech Awards 2022! Only five companies out of more than 300 nominated are chosen for the finals, which take place in Copenhagen December 7, 2022. Kioo Water Re-fill Kiosks are nominated in the category Water. The founder of the company, Per Egede Nielsen, has invented a way of cleaning used water bottles, before filling them with clean water. This is done in so-called Water Re-fill Kiosks. The price of...

A2i Talk November 2022: Combining aid and trade in Ugandan agriculture – exploring synergies between Danish development cooperation and Danish businesses Uganda’s agricultural sector is developing. A growing middle class, fertile land, and export markets in the region makes Ugandan agriculture relevant for Danish businesses. Whether it’s processing equipment, water treatment or the import of quality coffee, there are opportunities and links. But Uganda is also a developing country where...

https://www.ugandaeuropebusinessforum.com/The GANDA-EUROPE UNION BUSINESS FORUM 2022 kicked-off in October in Kampala. With kind support from the organizers and in joint partnership with the Danish Embassy in Uganda, Access2innovation was hosting a stand, that is showcasing us and solutions from PESITHO, SolarVenti A/S, 4Life Solutions, MASH Makes and the GrainHub initiative. The interest has been overwhelming. As outlined by Signe Winding Albjerg, Ambassador of Denmark to Uganda, the...

Latest news from our DMDP project in Uganda The first Danish drying plant from BM Silo was commissioned on October 1, 2022. This is an important step in our DMDP project, which will improve the local harvest in Uganda with Danish innovative technology. The handover has been somewhat delayed, not least because of a problem with an unstable power supply in the area. But now the plant is running satisfactorily. In the photo, which was taken on the occasion of the handover, you can see from left...

This month Access2innovation welcomes our newest member Grundfos. Grundfos is one of the world’s leading water technology companies. Through their water solutions and services, Grundfos touches the lives of millions of people every day. Innovation is the very backbone of the company, helping them deliver value and impact ever since its foundation - more than 75 years ago. Collaborating with strategic partners to innovate is key to finding solutions to the world’s water and climate challenges...

Several activities have taken place during the last few weeks. Apart from the installation of the drying unit from BM Silo, the combined seed cleaning-and milling unit from Gl. Buurholt Ltd. and Engsko Ltd. has been installed and commissioned with success at Pearl Seed near Gayaza, and the technologies have already attracted quite some attention. In February A2I arranged a seminar in Kampala for staff from World Food Programme in order to introduce the Grain Hub Project.  After a site...

Several activities have taken place during the last few weeks. Apart from the installation of the drying unit from BM Silo, the combined seed cleaning-and milling unit from Gl. Buurholt Ltd. and Engsko Ltd. has been installed and commissioned with success at Pearl Seed near Gayaza, and the technologies have already attracted quite some attention. In February A2I arranged a seminar in Kampala for staff from World Food Programme in order to introduce the Grain Hub Project.  After a site...

11. Marts 22 Circular economy in an African context Virtual A2i-Talk Professor Arne Remmen from Aalborg University will take us through the evolution on how companies and societies have worked with circular economy. He will highlight the importance of african businesses to tap into the principles of circular economy  - what it means and how this can be done in partnerships between companies, universities and civil society organisations. Time: 9.30-10.15 CET   Follow thislink. Free...

 11. Februar 22 Do's and Don'ts when establishing your business on the East Africa markets Virtual A2i-Talk Tom Apina is the CEO of SustaiNet - a business support facility operating from Kenya. For many years he has supported SMEs in developing their businesses to successfully enter markets in East-Africa. In this talk he will share his experience on how to approach the markets incl. how to deal with various types of compliance issues. Time: 9.30-10.15 CET Follow this link. Free entrence. ...

In November 2021 Access2innovation had a successful delegation trip to Uganda and Tanzania. The 10 members of the trip all had an individual program with relevant meetings with local experts and authorities. Enjoy photos from the trip under here.   Contact Henrik Anker-Ladefoged på hal@access2innovation.com if you want to hear more about our next tour to the emerging African markets. Henrik Anker-Ladefoged from Access2innovation meets director Lifestock (in the middle) and Bishar Fille...

In October, our new project coordinator of the ongoing DMDP Project, Yango Azando, visited Denmark, together with Access2innovation’s representative in Uganda and expert in business development in East Africa, John Magnay. During their stay, they were introduced to the Danish partners in the DMDP project: BM Silo, Engsko United Milling Systems and Gl. Buurholt. The four year DMDP project will improve the farmer's condition in Uganda by establishing 25 decentralized grain treatment centers that...

Enjoy our latest Virtual A2i-Talk with Jeremie Pige from WFP's Innovation Hub Theme: Your opportunities in the World Food Program’s Innovation Hub Meet Jeremie Pige, Head of World Food Program’s Innovation hub for Eastern Africa. Jeremie Pige tells about the local demands and opportunities for engaging with the hub at A2i-Talk from October 21. In December 2020 World Food program launched the Regional Innovation hub (IGNITE). This main mission is to leverage public and private partners, provide...

How to do business in East Africa? - Virtuel A2i-Talk with expert John Magnay Meet John Magnay, Access2innovation’s trusted expert in building Danish businesses in East Africa in cooperation with NGOs and investors. He is our local expert in East Africa with companies in Uganda and a background in Opportunity International. John shares his knowledge and insights from many years experience. He reflects on how finance institutions as Opportunity Bank / Abi Trust can support Danish companies and...

Impact investing with Access2Innovation We are at the moment establishing a financial platform where it will be possible to invest in loans. Here you can support innovative, Danish companies that are ready to enter the growing African growth markets. Their products and services will make a difference for the better, for example, in relation to the environment, climate or social conditions. Read five good examples below. Are you interested in impact investing? Then send an email to...

What are the impact of Covid-19 on your African activities? Watch the Virtual A2i Talk with professor Flemming Konradsen here: https://lnkd.in/eHgT9Dr.ttps://lnkd.in/eHgT9Drs://lnkd.in/eHgT9Dr

Participate in Access2innovation’s delegation trip, which this time goes to Kenya and Tanzania. On the trip, you will gain knowledge of the market opportunities related to green conversion, including energy solutions, optimization of industries, waste management and wastewater management. At the same time, you will have the opportunity to utilize the synergy that can arise from a joint delegation trip among the Danish SMEs, which is expected to be able to increase your company’s...

Thank you for the support for our new strategy, where we specifically goes for three major areas that we call “Grand Challenge Clusters”. If there is anyone who has the network, the insight, and the power to make a difference in these fields, it must be our members. We also increase the benefits of our good network with more Virtual A2i Talks, pitch sessions, delegation trips and innovation capacity development and networks of business development in Africa - in collaboration with companies,...

Enjoy the ten tips for success in frontier markets by Martin Hamann at our virtual A2i Talk february 12th 2021.121.

Disvoer market opportunities with Access2innovation! Now you have the chance to become wiser about the market opportunities in Africa and meet potential stakeholders when Access2innovation in January 2021 invites you on a delegation trip to Kenya and Tanzania. Back in 2019, we were with Danish SMEs on a delegation trip to Africa. Here, the SMEs got in touch with 11 local companies, all of which wanted collaboration on specific projects and future collaborations with at least one of the...

Excerpt from Børsen November 1st 2020 The past week, the leading danish business paper Børsen published a nice series of articles about the lack of early financing of green Danish climate solutions. No less than 12 pages for interviews and great photos with Danish SMEs. Read about MASH Energy, who convert agricultural waste into biofuel. And Engsko, whose grinders optimize the nutrient content of African corn flour and prevent the flour from perishing. The Minister of Development Cooperation...

From our last visit in Africa in August: Martin, technical chief at Limuru Dairy, in front of a cooling tank for milk. You can be a part of optimizing the restart of Africa. Access2innovation is back on track! Despite the serious situation around the world, we still believe in the opportunities in Africa. Access2innovation's work to support Danish exports of green technology to Africa is more important than ever. As never before, there is a need for efficient energy, food production and other...

A new analysis reveals a serious funding gap in the financial ecosystem. It calls for cooperation to secure sustainable solutions for developing countries. Without better coherence in the public supportsystem, we won’t be able to attract private capital. We then risk to miss growth and jobs in both Denmark and in developing countries. With our great knowledge and advanced technology, Danish business, together with universities and NGO’s, will be able to create amazing sustainable products....

This week in Børsen, you can read about danish Lyras, that has developed a sales-ready cold-pasteurization plant for the African market and our efforts to strengthen the export of Danish sustainable solutions to developing countries. Read the article in Børsen here

Our grand african network has been an important piece in the mobilization of more than 50 potential buyers, that signed up for Lyras A/S webinar, about their newly developed cold-pasteurization plant. This we are proud of! At the webinar Lyras told the many potential buyers, about their cold-pasteurization plant. The plant, unlike normal pasteurization methods and UHT processing, retain both vitamins and flavour. At the same time it saves the company 90 percent of energy costs. Lyras has...

Has Covid-19 given your SME a timeout? Then it is time to develop your products for the African growth markets. Millions of support crowns are waiting for Danish companies that want to be part of the growth of the emerging markets. There is great market potential in the African growth markets. In Uganda and Kenya, for example, there are one million new consumers a year - per country. Danish SMEs can reach DKK 500,000 and sparring to develop technologies and products in collaboration with...

Despite the Covid-19 crisis, we managed to get off to a good start on the sale of the new iced coffee ICED Espresso in Kenya. The coffee will be produced by coffee farmers in Kenya. It is currently available with several different flavors such as Dark Chocolate, Cream Caramel and Irish Rum and has become a big hit in Denmark. Launch of ICED Espresso in Kenya “ICED Espresso is expected to be a major outlet especially for Kenyan hotels and restaurants. Here, iced coffee is already a popular...