The SEPT Competence Center from Leipzig University along with IRGIB University from Benin and Makerere University from Uganda got together in Cotonou, Benin from 03-07.10.2022 for the ABSbio Summer School. The topic of the event was: Biodiversity, sustainability, and success: the business of bio-entrepreneurship.
The organization of the event was carried out by the staff of the IRGIB University of Benin. The topics included in this event were: Business models for sustainable innovation, Case studies in sustainability, and Revenue Models for bioentrepreneurs.
Within the framework of the ABSbio project, this event was held with participants representing universities from Benin, Uganda, and Germany. Nevertheless, the origin of several of the participants went beyond these countries. We had 25 participants coming over from different regions in Africa, Europa, and even Latin America.
This summer school was supported by the DAAD with funds from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Thanks to DAAD and to the organizing team from IRGIB University for planning such a fruitful event.
About the ABSbio Summer School
The world is facing a biodiversity crisis. Many species are on the brink of extinction, and many more have already disappeared. This crisis has serious implications for our food supply, water quality, and climate change mitigation efforts.
At the same time, there is an opportunity here: entrepreneurs can invest in startups that create products or services that help with conservation efforts or that bring awareness to these issues through social media campaigns and marketing strategies. These businesses can also help us make better decisions about our environment so that we don't continue down this path.
But becoming an entrepreneur is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but it also takes having the right mindset: being able to see the opportunities even in times when it seems like everything is going wrong around you. And then it takes finding people who believe in what you're doing!
During a workshop in the ABSbio Summer School, participants discussed all these things and more: what makes a good bioentrepreneur, how our participants started, what they've learned along the way, and why they thrive in adverse conditions.
