Fostering Collaborative Solutions for Sustainable Growth
Access2innovation hosted its much-anticipated Partnership Day 2024, a dynamic event aimed at fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among stakeholders committed to driving innovative, sustainable, commercial solutions to African markets. Held on April 24, 2024, the event featured an engaging program designed to inspire, inform, and facilitate meaningful partnerships.
The event kicked off with a warm welcome and introduction by Karin Elisabeth Lind, CEO of Access2innovation, setting the stage for an afternoon of insightful presentations and discussions, facilitated by Program Manager, Thomas Augustinus.
Incredibly exciting and educational
“It was incredibly exciting and educational to participate in the ‘Partnership Day’ together with the other members of Access2innovation and hear about the successes and experiences of other companies. East Africa is an incredibly exciting market but also with many challenges, and therefore it is important for us to have a good network with a combined many years of experience to draw from.”
Success Factors in Africa
At first at the Partnership Day, Simon la Cour from Pesitho, Ole Haubro from Aller Aqua, and Lars Bendix from Farm Mountain engaged in a thought-provoking panel discussion on governance, market understanding, and business models that have led to success in African markets. Participants gained valuable insights into the strategies and best practices employed by these organizations to navigate the complexities of doing business in Africa.
Huge impact for many people
Founder and managing partner in Nordic Impact Funds, Lisbeth S. Zacho then presented a series of investments and her experiences with investing in local enterprises with impactful solutions for underserved communities in East Africa. Lisbeth impressed by the huge amount of citizens who gain privileges from her investments, in numbers reaching more than a million people.
Responsible Business Conduct and Business Success
Senior Advisor, Business and Human Rights Roya Høvsgaard from Folkekirkens Nødhjælp/DanChurchAid presented, how their work with Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) can strengthen business success. We learned about the importance of ethical business practices and the positive outcomes that result from aligning business objectives with social and environmental responsibility.
The importance of partnerships and sharing experiences
In the end, Karin Elisabeth Lind, expressed heartfelt gratitude by underscoring the importance of partnerships and learning from each other’s successes in driving meaningful change.
Following the presentations, attendees had the opportunity to network over drinks and snacks, further fostering future collaborations.
Inspired and hopefully energized
The day was a success, bringing together stakeholders from diverse sectors to share experiences related to governance, market understanding and business models in Africa. Through insightful presentations, engaging discussions, and valuable networking opportunities, participants left inspired and hopefully energized to continue their collective efforts towards building a more prosperous and equitable future in partnerships between businesses, research institutions, NGO’s and investors in Denmark and Africa.
“It has been a good day with interesting presentations, inspiring people and projects, and not least lively networking. We are very glad we came.”