, MOMBASA, Kenya, Nov 15 – Coast region youth have been invited to showcase innovations around the Blue Economy during the second annual Jumuiya Agribusiness and Blue Economy Investment Conference (JABEIC) 2019 scheduled for December 10-11, in Kilifi County.
Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) secretariat, which is the economic bloc for the six coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Tana River and Lamu, has organized the conference to help the youth towards developing Investments around Agribusiness and the Blue Economy .
Prior to the JABEIC 2019, JKP will host an inaugural economic development innovation challenge for the youth in Mombasa from December 2-9.
The challenge, dubbed BlueHack, will be a capstone activity of the of the Pwani Innovation week, which has been scheduled for December 3-6 in Mombasa and Malindi.
BlueHack will host a dedicated week of grass roots innovation, collaboration and culture by curating specific hackathons, capacity building opportunities and development of policies.
It will give passionate Kenyans the opportunity to present their ideas to of over 700 investors in JABEIC 2019.
said the BlueHack will give an opportunity to the local coastal youth to be showcase their innovations.
“About 200 youth will take part in the Pwani Innovation week, a selected few of about 50, whose ideas and innovations will be impressive, will proceed to Malindi and present them during JABEIC,” said Kate Krukiel, Managing Director Sera Africa.
She said they have decided to engage local youths so that they can be part and parcel of innovations around agriculture, business and the blue economy.
The first of its kind by a regional economic block, BlueHack is a social innovation activity seeking to introduce new designs, methodologies, products, policies and other innovations that are financially and environmentally sustainable.
The innovations will also improve the lives and livelihoods of the stakeholders and key players within the Blue Economy sector, which is a global emerging economic frontier.
In Kenya, the Blue Economy represents a huge opportunity and the potential to achieve sustainable economic growth and generate jobs.
Kenya has one of the largest shares of estimated US$22 billion annual economic value of goods and services of the Blue Economy in the Western Indian Ocean.
The fisheries sector accounts for 0.5 percent of the Kenya’s gross GDP, creating employment opportunities for over two million Kenyans.
JKP has partnered with Sera Africa, Generation Kenya and IgovAfrica to organized the BlueHack Challenge and the JABEIC 2019 to focus on unlocking the Blue economy value chains through innovation and technology.
Emmanuel Nzai, the Chief Executive Officer of JKP Secretariat, said BlueHack 2019 overall objective is to harness social innovation and technology to contribute to coastal economic development in an inclusive, integrated, participatory and sustainable manner.
“This challenge is to bring together the most passionate from a cross section of backgrounds and skills,” said Nzai.
