A regional workshop opened on Thursday, September 4, 2025, in Dakar, Senegal, on the theme "Towards a Regional Bioeconomy in West Africa: Contribution of Policy, Scientific, and Technological Innovations." Organized by AKADEMIYA2063, the University of Bonn's Center for Development Research (ZEF), the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), and the Center for Ecological Monitoring (CSE), this focused half-day meeting provides a strategic platform to discuss ways forward for establishing bioeconomy agendas in West Africa. It leverages partnerships with key industry stakeholders to foster dialogue and boost bioeconomy development in the region.

Objective: “to catalyze regional action on the bioeconomy and strengthen African representation in global discussions”

Bringing together select representatives, this session is timely to catalyze regional action on the bioeconomy and strengthen African representation in global discussions. The dialogue focused on identifying the region's priorities in the bioeconomy, strengthening regional coordination within the sector, and promoting knowledge sharing and learning based on best practices.

This important meeting was also a means for West African countries to prepare for the World Bioeconomy Summit scheduled for 2026 in Dublin, Ireland, as well as the preparatory meeting for the World Business Summit to be held in January 2026 in Hanover, Germany.

Each participant took part in high-level dialogues to inspire action to help West African countries jointly establish a sustainable and inclusive bioeconomy in a context of growing momentum.

To date, more than 65 countries globally have specific bioeconomy strategies. In Africa, South Africa, Namibia, and Ethiopia have developed bioeconomy strategies, while the East African Community (EAC) became the first regional economic bloc to establish a regional bioeconomy strategy in 2022. The latest Global Bioeconomy Summit, held for the first time in Africa, in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2024, highlighted the growing importance of the bioeconomy on the continent. This dynamic context allows West African countries to launch the debate on the paths to follow to establish comprehensive national bioeconomy programs.

The need to "fully understand the continent's vast resources, as well as the means to ensure biological and ecological sustainability"

Dr. Ousmane Badiane, President of AKADEMIYA2063 and Co-Chair of the Malabo Montpellier Panel, said: “Charting a path towards resilient African economies requires a clear understanding of the continent’s vast resources, as well as ways to ensure biological and ecological sustainability.” He said the workshop, which aims to facilitate policy dialogue and peer learning, will focus on “how to contribute to the formulation of a coherent bioeconomy agenda in West Africa based on proven policy interventions and scientific and technological innovations in Africa and globally.”

As the bioeconomy develops on the African continent, the role of institutional interventions and policy guidelines will be crucial in developing national and regional strategies to promote bio-based economies. In 2013, South Africa was the first African country to develop a bioeconomy strategy. Furthermore, as the G20 presidency, the country has included the bioeconomy on its agenda.

Towards the development of an African vision for the bioeconomy in view of the World Summit

Mr. Ben Durham, Director General of Bioinnovation at the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation in South Africa, said: “South Africa’s G20 Presidency this year sets the stage for an inclusive and sustainable global bioeconomy, which takes into account the specific challenges and opportunities of the African continent.” He added: “Our goal is to catalyze investment in sustainable nature- and biomass-based industries, foster enabling policy frameworks, and spur innovation within African and developing country economies. The African Bioeconomy Finance Hub, a bold and strategic initiative, was designed to generate practical tools to mobilize sustainable financing where it is most needed. This workshop is perfectly aligned with our collective effort to develop an African bioeconomy vision for the Global Summit in 2026.”

“The objectives align with the mission of the Senegal Ecological Monitoring Center”

Senegalese stakeholders, for their part, led the discussions at the local level, working with speakers from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and other countries in the region. They also benefited from the participation of experts from countries that already have bioeconomy strategies and representatives of organizations engaged in research in this field to offer broader perspectives.

In this regard, Professor Cheikh Mbow, Director General of the CSE, expressed his delight at having participated in this monumental effort aimed at facilitating dialogue with a view to developing a bioeconomy program for West Africa. For him, the objectives of the workshop are aligned with the mission of the Ecological Monitoring Center, which is to "improve the understanding and sustainable management of natural resources and the environment, through the production and dissemination of decision-making support products and services for state and non-state actors."

With the expansion of the bioeconomy in Africa, there is a growing recognition of ways to harness the continent's rich and diverse natural resources, as well as its scientific knowledge and expertise, to develop sustainable solutions. The bioeconomy aims to increase the production of high-value products from renewable biological resources by combining natural resources, scientific knowledge, and technologies with market prospects and business opportunities.

In this regard, AKADEMIYA2063 believes that developing strategies at national and regional levels to promote biotechnology-based economies will require the implementation of institutional actions and strategic guidelines.

The session, which brought together more than 35 hand-picked delegates, aims to encourage high-quality, action-oriented dialogue on the theme of how West African countries can work together to develop a sustainable and inclusive bioeconomy.

The meeting, which was held at a strategic and opportune time, served to catalyze regional action in favor of the bioeconomy and establish a strong African representation in global dialogues, with the following objectives:

• Provide West African countries with a framework for discussions on ways and means of implementing comprehensive national bioeconomy programs;

• Identify the region's main priorities in the field of bioeconomy and strengthen regional coordination in the sector;

• Position Senegal as a regional player in the advancement of bioeconomy policies and practices;

• Facilitate knowledge sharing and learning of best practices to support the development of a bioeconomy program in West Africa.