Marrakech, December 12, 2023 — PRIMA is set to actively participate in the much-anticipated Arab SMEs Summit 2023, organized by UN ESCWA and scheduled to unfold over three transformative days from December 12 to 14 in Marrakech.
Empowering SMEs Beyond Borders:
The Arab SMEs Summit serves as a crucial regional platform, dedicated to empowering small and medium enterprises in the Arab region, fostering performance improvement, and expanding their potential beyond borders. Following the resounding success of the 2022 Summit in Amman, where over 650 participants, including entrepreneurs and stakeholders, convened, the 2023 edition is poised to build on this momentum.
Strategic Objectives:
The summit aims to enhance partnerships, inspire Arab entrepreneurs with regional and global success stories, provide networking opportunities, and facilitate targeted capacity-building. With a robust approach, the event will be organized along seven main work streams, including Inspirational Talks, Interactive Workshops, Policy Dialogue, SMEs Exhibition, Opportunities Zone, Side Events, and Pitching Sessions.
PRIMA’s Commitment:
PRIMA’s active participation underscores its commitment to sustainable development and supporting the growth of SMEs.
Mohamed Wageih, PRIMA Project Officer, will actively participate in the Green Technologies and Business Models track on December 12th in the Oliveraie Hall. This engagement highlights PRIMA’s commitment to exploring sustainable solutions and innovative business models for the benefit of SMEs in the Arab region.
Another significant highlight of PRIMA’s involvement is the high-level panel scheduled for December 13th from 9:40 to 10:30 a.m. This thought leadership discussion, moderated by Ibrahim Al-Jubari will focus on “Leveraging Technology for SMEs Growth and Empowerment.” PRIMA’s Director, Octavi Quintana Trias, alongside other notable speakers, including Virginie Ruyer, Director of ANIMA Advisory Services, Morocco, and Winslow Sargeant, CEO of Purple Technologies and S&T Investment Firm, USA, will explore the role of technology in driving growth, economic empowerment, and prosperity for Arab SMEs.
PRIMA’s presence will extend to the final ceremony on December 14th, where Octavi Quintana and Mohamed Wageih will intervene, adding their perspectives to the closing discussions.
PRIMA, boosting innovation in the region:
With a keen focus on strengthening innovation potential, PRIMA is empowering businesses, particularly smallholders and small farms, with sustainable solutions designed to elevate productivity and income.
PRIMA’s commitment extends to bringing these innovations to market, aligning projects with real market and social needs, and offering additional support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Notably, PRIMA has evolved over the years, placing a greater emphasis on pioneering projects. This strategic shift underscores PRIMA’s dedication to amplifying innovation potential and swiftly delivering practical and replicable solutions.
To ensure these innovations reach the market successfully, PRIMA emphasizes the crucial role of supporting project consortia in maturing their groundbreaking ideas and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. Taking it a step further, PRIMA utilizes a methodology similar to the Innovation Radar to pinpoint projects with the most potential. These selected projects receive further support through the EC Horizon Result Booster, a specialized program aimed at maximizing the exploitation potential of their research results.
PRIMA will have a dedicated booth at the summit, showcasing its achievements and creating synergies with other institutions. Numerous PRIMA projects will showcase their initiatives at dedicated booths, providing an opportunity to not only promote their projects but also spotlight their collaborating SME partners.
The EU-Med region at the forefront:
PRIMA’s presence at the summit underscores its commitment to supporting the growth of Arab SMEs, its belief in the importance of EU-Mediterranean collaboration for economic development, and its expertise in providing innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by SMEs.
This event is a great occasion to unite key institutions in the EU-Med partnership, fostering cooperation not only between PRIMA and other EU MED programs and initiatives but also with prominent entities such as ASCAME, ANIMA, Businessmed and MedWaves.
Stay tuned for more information.
