31 Oct 2023
On October 23rd 2023 in Beit El Hekma (Tunis), Mohamed Mekki Maalej (Irwise) and Maher Oudira (Green ALAFCO) were the laureates of the 2023 WEMED awards from the southern Mediterranean.
IrWise is an agriculture technology startup in Tunisia that provides an innovative solution for managing water resources in the agricultural sector. Its mission is to help farmers optimize their water usage, reduce waste, and increase crop yields.
GREEN ALAFCO is a Tunisian recycling company of aluminum Used beverage Cans (UBC) through the integration of the informal sector of waste pickers and by using a new technological innovation of smart recycling containers developped by their team.
Under the same “Entrepreneurs” category rewarding start-ups committed to promoting the green, circular economy and eco-innovative entrepreneurship, Micaela Clubour (DCC Platform) and Alessandro Scuderi (Ohoskin) were the winners from the northern Med.
DCC collaborate closely with artisan facilitating their design process to create unique and eco-friendly fashion products. DCC also facilitatates the selling of these Tailored Capsule Collections by engaging in commercial partnerships with global fashion brands. Finally, DCC leverage blockchain technology to ensure product authenticity and traceability.
Ohoskin is a Sicilian orange and cactus-based coated textile bio-based material It has the feeling of high-quality animal leather but it is vegan and 100% plant-based and non-fossil.
In the category “Business Support Organizations (OSE)”, the winner is our Switcher Maya Karkour from Lebanon, founder of Eco-consulting
The prizes are business support vouchers valued at 9,000€ to each one, with additional coaching services and technical assistance tailored to the winners’ needs.
The Mediterranean Sustainability Prize 2023, supported by the European Union thanks to the RESET project and the SwitchMed program, aims to reward companies and organizations that are actively engaged in promoting the green economy, circular and eco-innovative entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean region.
"The circular economy is not a luxury; it is our future. Year after year, the WeMedAward reveals a tapestry of green entrepreneurs, like a constellation of stars". Jihed Ghannem, UNEP/MAP Public Information Officer
Before the announcement of the winners, a roundtable between experts in circular economy, representatives of business support organization (the Union of Mediterranean Confederations of Enterprises – BUSINESSMED) and startups founders (Bako Motors, Hoopoo, Pedalo) debated the nexus between Green Entrepreneurship and Ecological Transition Change mitigation in the Mediterranean.
"Collaborations between local artisans and regional brands create a win-win scenario: artisans bring the artistry, brands provide market access."Leena Ramadan, entrepreneur, founder of Hoopoo, WeMed Awards 2022 winner
The discussion focused mainly on the challenges entrepreneurs in the southern region face and how they overcome these issues. The audience listened to very enriching testimonies of personal lessons learned coming from Switcher Leena Ramadan from Egypt, Amani Hamdani, CEO of Pedalo (community-based bicycle delivery services in Tunis), as well as Mr. Boubaker Siala, founder Bako Motors in Tunisia.
You can follow their discussion here: https://shorturl.at/afF23
Around forty people attended the ceremony in Carthage and 125 people were watching the live streaming.
This third edition was organized by INJAZ Tunisia in partnership with MedWaves, the Regional Activity Center for Sustainable Consumption and Production (formerly SCP/RAC) of the Mediterranean Action Plan of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP/ MAP).
Photo Credit @ INJAZ TUNISIA