Countdown to MedaWeek Barcelona 2024, the Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders, which will take place from the 29th to the 30th of October at Casa Llotja de Mar in Barcelona. This is the world’s leading event for the economical development of the Mediterranean region which brings together Mediterranean institutional and governmental representatives, CEOs and entrepreneurs from different sectors, and international experts to debate and find common solutions on current challenges in the region and establish business connections with the region’s decision-makers. Once again, this unique event has been jointly organized by the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation, with the collaboration of prominent Euro-Mediterranean organisations, such as Union for the Mediterranean, European Institute of the Mediterranean, Consorci de la Zona Franca, Diputació de Barcelona and Cámara de Comercio de España.
Within the upcoming 18th edition of MedaWeek, it is expected to exceed last year’s attendance of more than 1,200 people in person and 500 by streaming from more than 25 countries in the Mediterranean region and abroad. All of them will have the chance to understand changing trends across sectors, geographies, and the functional silos in the Mediterranaen economy and industry, apart from opening doors to their organisations or companies to the latest and most exciting regional projects.
The main objective of this year’s edition is to consolidate MedaWeek as the main platform for the promotion of the Mediterranean economic integration by serving as the main meeting point for voicing the interests of the private sector in the socio-economic development of the Mediterranean countries. Under the claim ‘The sea that unites three continents’, this new edition will focus on fostering connectivity and cooperation and how to enhance global competitiveness in both shores of the Mediterranean. In this sense, MedaWeek Barcelona 2024 will become the main platform for constructing a common future between the two shores, based on new technologies, innovation, digital transformation, green and blue economies, renewable energy, and new opportunities in food, tourism, audiovisual and sports industries.
MedaWeek Barcelona 2024: The sessions of the 29th of October
The 18th edition of MedaWeek will kick off on the 29th of October with a welcome address from the organizers and institutional collaborators of MedaWeek 2024, who will highlight the importance of the Mediterranean region in the global context. During the opening session, there will be special announcements regarding new initiatives, partnerships, and projects that will be launched during the event. After that, the first session will be Mediterranean Annual Economic Report, which will provide an in-depth analysis of the economic performance, trends, and prospects of the Mediterranean region over the past year. This report is an essential tool for policymakers, business leaders, investors, and researchers who seek to understand the economic landscape of this diverse and dynamic region.
The next session will be Mediterranean Now and New Economy, which will provide valuable insights into the future of the regional economy, focusing on strategic economic diversification, innovation ecosystems, and foreign investments. Panelists will discuss on the new economic paradigm and the main investment and business opportunities in the Mediterranean, with a particular emphasis on the Middle East, Africa, And South Europe role in the evolving international business landscape.
MedaWeek Barcelona 2024 will continue with two more forums. On one hand, the Mediterranean Digital Economy Forum, which will shed light on the Mediterranean’s digital revolution. Experts will analyze how digitalisation is enhancing the customer experience and in what sense digital transformation offers a unique chance to address social and economic challenges in Mediterranean economies. On the other hand, the Mediterranean Food Industry Platform will show the region’s diverse culinary heritage and examine how innovation is driving growth and sustainability in the food sector. The session will focus on three key topics through three different panels: agrifood industry, halal industry and the Mediterranean diet.
MedaWeek Barcelona 2024: The sessions of the 30th of October
The second day of MedaWeek Barcelona 2024 will begin with the keynote speech from the institutional partners of this year’s edition, who will talk about the great opportunity that the Mediterranean has to become a key player in the global economy. The session will dive into economic prospects (steady growth, emerging markets and strategic location), the main opportunities for international businesses (market expansion, investment incentives and partnership potential) and support programs for economic development and the private sector (business development programs, innovation hubs, trade facilitation, investment in human capital, and policy advocacy).
The New Africa Business Development Forum will be the second session of the second day of MedaWeek. The key topic of this year’s forum will be ‘Accelerating Africa’s transformation: Opportunities and challenges’. High-level stakeholders, including economic leaders, investors, policymakers, and industry experts, will explore multifaceted opportunities and challenges in Africa’s dynamic economic landscape. The forum will be divided into 5-panel discussions: Diversified economic transformation and industrialization, infrastructure as a catalyst for growth, investment strategies and financial architecture, the African tourism and the hospitality frontier, and Hernessing Africa’s clean energy potential. There will also be the interactive session ‘Africa Investors Talk Panel’, which will become a dialogue-driven session where experienced investors will share their insights on investing in Africa.
The next session will be MedaCity, dedicated to exploring and replicating innovative models of urban development within the Mediterranean region. This session will highlight successful examples of innovative cities and districts, examining their strategies for sustainability, technology integration, and community engagement. The goal is to provide actionable insights and frameworks that other cities in the Mediterranean can adopt and adapt to their unique contexts.
After MedaCity we will enjoy the session Rethinking the tourism in the MED, which will explore new public and private partnerships to advance towards a greener and more sustainable tourism industry in the Mediterranean region. This session will be a great opportunity to present the “Sustainable Tourism Policy Labs”, one of the key tools to be developed by the “Dialogue4Tourism” Project in the context of the Sustainable Tourism Mission of the Interreg Euro-Med Programme. This forum will seek two main goals. Firstly, to be a meeting point to discuss the main challenges, mechanisms and tools for the implementation of a greener and more sustainable tourism. Secondly, to offer a window of opportunity to the private Mediterranean tourism stakeholders to echo their problems and bring them to the level of governance to look for new solutions.
The second day will continue with two forums dedicated to two of the fastest growing sectors in the Mediterranean: cultural & creative industry and sports sector. Firstly, the Mediterranean Creative Economy Forum will serve as a platform for accomplished professionals in the Mediterranean cultural sector to deliberate on crucial matters shaping the future of the creative industry. This forum will include the sessions ‘Cinema and Audiovisual Co-Production: Ambitions and Opportunities’ and ‘Financing of Culture: Challenges, Modalities, and Perspectives’. Secondly, the Mediterranean Sport Industry Forum will explore the role that sport plays in the development of the Mediterranean region from the following two points of view: a powerful force for cooperation and peace -facilitating social integration and economic development- and its business and investment opportunities -investments in infrastructure, creation of jobs for young people, and a great opportunity to do business-.
The last session of the day will be Doing Business Mediterranean-Canada Business Forum, an insightful session to explore and enhance business opportunities between the Mediterranean region and Canada, fostering collaboration and economic growth. MedaWeek Barcelona 2024 will conclude with an afterwork business networking.