Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Entwicklung und Humanitäre Hilfe
Workshop (EN)
28.01.2025 | 15:00 – 17:00 | Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, Zone C1 – Room 2, 1045 Vienna, Austria
This workshop is part of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber’s AFRICA DAY 2025. One focus group hosted by Global Responsibility will discuss how technical training, research partnerships and development cooperation can improve business performance and contribute to sustainable local ecosystems.
Developing and emerging markets – such as many across Africa – offer significant business opportunities, yet also pose challenges that require inclusive, collaborative approaches. Multi-stakeholder partnerships, involving businesses, NGOs, universities, development agencies, and the public sector, are increasingly recognized as a key to bridging capability gaps, scaling innovative models, and generating shared value. When diverse partners align their expertise, networks, and resources, they can overcome barriers, foster knowledge transfer, and create sustainable business solutions that simultaneously drive economic growth and development outcomes.
The circular economy provides a compelling illustration of this potential. By focusing on resource efficiency, recycling, and value retention, circular models highlight how cross-sector collaboration can lead to social, environmental, and financial benefits. The workshop focuses on how multi-stakeholder partnerships can unlock business and development opportunities in emerging markets, notably in African contexts, with the circular economy serving as an illustrative example. By highlighting concrete collaborations between businesses, NGOs, universities, development agencies, and public-sector actors, the session underscores how aligned interests and complementary expertise can drive sustainable market growth, capacity building, and tangible social and environmental benefits. In addition, the Austrian Development Agency will present the market system development approach as a special quality feature of co-funded business partnerships, demonstrating how this framework enhances the long-term impact and scalability of initiatives.
Through concise expert inputs, interactive group discussions, and practical guidance, participants will be empowered to identify potential partners, initiate new projects, and confidently navigate the complex interplay of business and development goals.
15:00 – 15:10 | Welcome by Bernhard Bös, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber | Introduction, Agenda & Objectives by Daniela Ortiz (ICEP)
15:10 – 15:50 | Part 1: Expert Input & Good Practices (3x 10min)
15:50-16:00 | Impulse TU-Wien – trends, challenges, and enabling conditions for successful circular economy models in Africa (Speaker: Hans Fellner TU-Wien / VIRWa Vienna Institute for Resources and Waste) (10 min)
16:00 – 16:30 | Part 2: Focus Groups on (30 min)
16:30 – 16:45 | Presentation of Group Work (15 min)
16:45 – 17:00 | Summary & Key Takeaways, Closing Remarks (5 min)
To participate, please register for the AFRICA DAY 2025 via the website of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. Registration is open until 24 January.
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