Blog Article — July 18, 2023 — Linda McLeod

GenBlue: Empowering Innovation Support Organizations for Blue Innovation and Inclusivity in Southern Africa

GenBlue is a collaborative initiative led by Make-IT in Africa and implemented by OceanHub Africa and Viridian. The program is dedicated to empowering Innovation Support Organizations (ISOs) as key enablers for ocean impact solutions while promoting inclusivity and addressing gender imbalances and biases.

Unlocking the Potential of the Blue Economy

The Blue Economy encompasses a range of ocean-based industries and holds significant economic potential for Southern Africa. Did you know that these industries have a global annual economic value of at least $2.5 trillion, making the ocean the world's seventh-largest economy? In many countries within the region, these industries already make substantial contributions to their GDP and exports. However, despite its vast potential, the Blue Economy in Southern Africa remains largely untapped, presenting significant opportunities for growth and innovation.

The role of Innovation Support Organizations

ISOs, including incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces, and maker spaces, play a crucial role in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. However, when it comes to BlueTech, there is a noticeable gap in the support landscape. Currently, there is a shortage of ISOs specifically focused on supporting entrepreneurs in this sector of opportunities in Southern Africa. This presents a unique challenge and an exciting opportunity to bridge this gap and empower ISOs to become key enablers for ocean impact solutions.

Microsoft Teams image 44

GenBlue: Supporting the Growth of Blue Ventures

With GenBlue, our mission is to strengthen ISOs and position them as the go-to place for Blue Entrepreneurs in their geographic area. Through our 7-month program, we provide ISOs with the tools, knowledge, and networks to shape their own BlueTech support programs and foster sustainable growth and investment readiness in Africa's BlueTech ecosystem.

First cohort to be announced soon

The selection process of the participants is in full swing. After intensive evaluations and inspiring interviews with passionate ISOs from the regions, the first cohort of GenBlue will be announced soon. They will then enter a comprehensive program designed to empower and connect ISOs for successful engagement in BlueTech. By participating in GenBlue, they will benefit from:

  1. Capacity Development: Develop the necessary capacity and building networks to effectively support Blue Ventures in their growth journey.
  2. Regional Collaboration: Join a collaborative regional community focused on Ocean Sustainability topics, enabling knowledge sharing and collective impact.
  3. Global Opportunities: Access global opportunities and engage with world-class experts, fostering international partnerships and expanding horizons.
  4. Game Plan Development: Creating a comprehensive Game Plan to run programs and sustain your ISOs, ensuring long-term success.

***

About the authors:

Ocean Hub Africa is an ocean-impact catalyst with the mission to connect, inspire and support entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, businesses and other stakeholders to accelerate the development and adoption of new sustainable ocean solutions across Africa.

Viridian is an impact agency that designs and delivers programmes for early-stage entrepreneurs, investors and entrepreneur support organisations across Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Their programmes act as a catalyst for these key economic actors, ultimately growing shared prosperity across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Related posts
  • Screenshot2
    8 reasons why we are excited about embedding inclusion in Africa's Digital Innovation Ecosystem
    Join us as Value for Women and Make-IT in Africa embark on a journey to revolutionize Africa's tech landscape. Discover 8 reasons why we foster diversity, empower women and drive innovation.
    Blog Article — September 27, 2023 — Aparajita Agrawal
  • Screenshot 2023 09 21 114155
    Co-designing Solutions to close the gender-financing Gap in Africa
    Female-founding teams in Africa received an abysmal 1% of total funding on the continent in 2021. Make-IT in Africa launches the ScaleX Project to support early-stage gender-lens ecosystem actors.
    News Article — September 21, 2023 — Mansi Gupta
  • Microsoft Teams image 51
    Apply now for our new Promoting Local R&D Program
    Are you a Makerspace in Western or Eastern Africa? Then apply to our Research and Development program and join us as we bridge the innovation gap to drive impactful change.
    News Article — September 19, 2023 — Rosina Naab
  • Kooskora x Delegatsioon x Lattitude Harry Tiits 1964
    Enthralling Estonia: On a Safari to meet the Unicorns of the North
    Estonia is simply impressive. In “the world’s most digital nation”, 99% of government services are available online. We wanted to see ourselves: how did Estonia pull off its digital transformation?
    Blog Article — August 11, 2023 — Anna Vambe
  • Screenshot 2023 09 15 091558
    Open Innovation Program Toolkit
    A framework and guide for ESOs to foster collaboration between SGBs and large enterprises
    News Article — August 8, 2023 — Claire Jowell

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date.

You may unsubscribe at any time using the link in our newsletter.