Our annual
East African Community Business & Investment Forum 2021
April 27 2021, 11:00 EAT (10:00) CET
The East African Community Business & Investment Forum (EAC-BIF) is a key annual business event with an aim of promoting business flow, trade and investments between Sweden and East Africa. The EAC-BIF is organised by the Embassies from the East African Community (EAC) accredited to the Kingdom of Sweden in partnership with the Swedish-East African Chamber of Commerce (SWEACC) and others. Since 2012, the EAC-BIF aims to promote business flow, trade and investments between Sweden, other Nordic countries, and the East African Community. The successive forums give opportunities for Business to Business (B2B), Government to Government (G2G) and Government to Business (G2B) meetings to develop new, meaningful, and sustainable technological exchange, trade, and investment partnerships between business communities in Sweden other Nordic countries and the EAC region.
The Business Forum continues to generate forward-looking insights to the quest for new pathways and engines for global growth and transformation. The EAC-BIF 2021 was scheduled to be arranged in Stockholm.Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and travel restriction along with social distancing recommendations the EAC-BIF 2021 will be held as a digital event on an inclusive digital platform that will create a dynamic event for participants, speakers, and panels.
The theme is “Green Solutions for Cities” (in Africa), with the following focus areas:
Waste to Energy
Water and Sanitation
Green Transport
Green Solutions for Cities is an area of great importance worldwide, not the least in the EAC countries with a fast urbanization requesting efficient solutions to cover for the implications on health, security, and environment. Sweden has a strong business sector capable of offering not only financially sustainable solutions, but also capacity building within the area.
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY BUSINESS & INVESTMENT FORUM 2021 IS SPONSORED BY AFRICAN FINANCING & MTI INVESTMENT
Speakers and moderators
We have amazing and inspirational speakers and moderators at EAC-BIF 2021. Cobnfirmed speakers, experts and moderators:
Anna Hallberg, Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs
Betty Maina, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development.
Paula Ingabire, Rwandan Minister of ICT and Innovation
Kitila Mkumbo, Tanzanian Minister for industry and trade
Amelia Kyambadde, Ugandan Cabinet Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives
Patrick Bucyana, CEO AC Group Rwanda and board member at Private Sector Foundation Rwanda
Allen Kimambo, Chairperson Tanzania Recyclers Association (TARA)
Vimal Shah, Chairman, Bidco Africa
Jessica Magnusson, Senior Advisor, Power Africa
Micael Edler, CEO, Bratt International
Pontus Engström, CEO MTI Investment
Leila Trulsen, moderator
Tamara Nerima, Marketing Communication Director at Scania East Africa
Niclas Ihren, Founder, CEO and Strategic advisor at Matters Group
Caroline Furuvald, COO at Global Capital Guide
Tom Walsh, CEO at Renetech
Jakob Fries, International Director, water and environment, SWECO
Jan Furuvald, Chairman Swedish East African Chamber of Commerce
Carole Karuga, CEO, Kenya Private Sector Alliance
Paul Koyi, President, Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture
Brenda Timbawenda Kandabu, Secretary General, Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry
H.E. Christine Nkulikiyinka, Ambassador for Rwanda to Sweden and Dean of East African Ambassadors in Sweden
H.E. Willibrod Slaa, Ambassador for Tanzania to Sweden and Deputy dean of the East African Ambassadors in Sweden.
EAC-BIF 2021 WILL BE A DYNAMIC AND INCLUSIVE DIGITAL EVENT
East African Community Business & Investment Forum 2021 (EAC-BIF 2021) will be a fully digital forum due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is important for us to stay connected and continue our work to promote trade and investment between Sweden and East Africa while at the same time acting responsibly.
EAC-BIF 2021 will include high level keynote speakers, stakeholder dialogue and have a strong emphasis on networking opportunities between businesses, organisations, investors, government representatives and off course between region, East Africa, and The Nordics. We aim to take the next step and not just talk but also create contacts and dialogue that can initiate new business deals and investments.
WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?
EAC companies and organizations interested in Swedish/Nordic solutions
Swedish/Nordic Companies that offer solutions for EAC market
Government representatives
Trade organisations
Business Enterprises and Investors from the East African community
Business councils
THE AIM OF THE eac-bif 2021
The EAC-BIF aims to:
Promote more business (trade) and investment between Sweden other Nordic countries and East Africa.
Give opportunity for Business to Business (B2B), Government to Government (G2G) and Government to Business (G2B) meetings to take place
Offer the trade community a broader scope of the business possibilities within the area of “Green Solutions for Cities”
Increase knowledge and understanding of participants in the plans and opportunities offered by the EAC-market as well as learning more about established solutions to foster the concept of “Green Solutions for Cities”
Give opportunity to meet with potential collaboration partners as well as learning more about business opportunities in EAC that fits into the long-term plans of the East African countries
To further stimulate the collaboration between Sweden and the EAC-countries; and
Give the possibility to increase contacts between the business communities supported by relevant authorities.
East African Community Business & Investment Forum 2020
When we summarize The East African Community Business & Investment Forum (EAC-BIF) 2020, held in in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, we can honestly call it a success. Great thanks to His Excellency Ambassador Slaa and the hard working team in Tanzania who managed to put the program together and make sure each part of the forum worked perfectly. We had 150 participants in the conference hall at Serena Hotel in Dar Es Salaam. Great thanks to serena Hotel for hosting the event.
The 2020 forum’s main heading was “Green Solutions in Cities”, with the following focus areas:-
Waste to Energy
Water and Sanitation
Green Transport
Green Solutions in Cities is an area of great importance worldwide, not the least in the EAC countries with a fast urbanization requesting efficient solutions to cover for the implications on health, security and environment. Sweden has a strong business sector capable of offering not only financially sustainable solutions, but also capacity building within the area.
The choice of subject was agreed upon as a follow up conference of EAC-BIF 2019 after common discussions between the embassies and SWEACC with the conviction that the subject will attract the attention of many players within the sector and serve as a platform for further collaboration.As mention the theme is Green Cities in East Africa and the focus will be sustainable business opportunities in East Africa. We will arrange special breakout sessions focusing on Waste to Energy, Water and Sanitation and Green Transport. We will discuss both actual business but also skill training as part of every break out session. We will have a large delegation visiting from East Africa to meet Swedish Companies to discuss sustainable business.
Thank you to all speakers, honored guests and attendants
We want to thank all distinguished speakers, guests, and attendants at the forum. The speakers on the EAC-BIF were, among others.
Hon. Innocent L. Bashungwa; Minister of Industry and Trade, United Republic of Tanzania
Hon.Palamagamba John Kabudi, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, United Republic of Tanzania
Hon. Angellah Kairuki, Minister of State Prime Minister’s Office Responsible for Investment in Tanzania
Mr. Paul Koyi–President of Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture
Mr. Jan Furuvald; Chairman, Swedish East African Chamber of Commerce
Mr.John Ulanga, Country Director, Trade Mark East Africa
H.E Anders Sjöberg, Ambassador of Sweden to Tanzania
H.E Dr Willibrod Slaa, Ambassador of Tanzania, Sweden
Hon. Ambassador Liberat Mfumukeko, Secretary General, EAC
Jennifer Gache, Industrial Development, EAC Secretariat
Mr. Joachim Davidsson, head of cluster development, Swedish East African Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Godwill Wanga, Executive Secretary, Tanzania National Business Council
Ambassador Johnson Weru, on behalf of Principal Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya
Prof. Jossy Materu, City Plan Africa, Tanzania
Geoffrey Mwambe, Executive Director, Tanzania Investment Centre
Ms. Malin Cronqvist, Help to Help
Mr. Patrik Stålgren, SIDA
Mr. Pontus Engström CEO, MTI Investments
Mr. Octavian Aman Kivyiro, Chief Executive Officer, Tanzania Truck Owner’s Association
Mr. Mohamed Bakar Kuganda, Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART) - Tanzania
Mr Jorge Gutierrez – Scania
John Ulanga, Country Director, Trademark East Africa
Peter Mathuki, Executive Director, East African Business Council
Hon. Elly Karuhanga, Board Chairman, Federation of Private Sector, Uganda
Mr. Godfrey Simbeye, Executive Director, Tanzania Private Sector Foundation
About The East African Community Business & Investment Forum
The East African Community Business & Investment Forum (EAC-BIF) is a key annual business event with an aim of promoting business flow, trade and investments between Sweden and East Africa. The EAC-BIF is organised by Embassies from the East African Community (EAC) accredited to the Kingdom of Sweden in partnership with the Swedish-East Africa Chamber of Commerce (SWEACC) and others.
Since 2012, the EAC-BIF aims to promote business flow, trade and investments between Sweden, other Nordic countries and the East African Community. The successive forums give opportunities for Business to Business (B2B), Government to Government (G2G) and Government to Business (G2B) meetings to develop new, meaningful and sustainable technological exchange, trade and investment partnerships between business communities in Sweden other Nordic countries and the EAC region. The Business Forum continues to generate forward-looking insights to the quest for new pathways and engines for global growth and transformation.
Today, East African with neighbours offers a market close to 500 million consumers for Swedish goods and services. Focus within sustainable business in East Africa are renewable energy, waste management and waste to energy, water purification (Blue Economy) and sustainable urban planning. Many companies in Sweden are in the front line in terms of innovation and technologies that could meet the demand we see in East Africa. Now it is time to grow that business! East Africa Business and Investment Forum 2019 took place in Stockholm in March 2019. East Africa Business and Investment Forum 2018 was arranged in Kigali, Rwanda 2018.
Thank you very much for your part in EAC Business & Investment Forum 2020
East Africa Community Business and Investment Forum 2018
Selection of images from EAC Business Investment Forum 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda
The Embassies of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda from the East African Community (EAC) together with the Swedish East African Chamber of Commerce (SWEACC) and Swecare Foundation have for the past five (5) years been organizing investment and business forums in Sweden. The latest forums have been on promotion of business between Sweden and East Africa in Energy and Medtech/ICT.
The EAC-BIF 2018 took place on 20th of March 2018 in Kigali. Building on experiences from past forums, this year's forum focuses on the emerging and more cross cutting subject of "ICT Solutions" in the area of MedTech for health care systems under the Theme “Health and Growth”.
Participants of EAC-BIF 2018
Swedish and EAC Companies that offer or are interested in offering or buying ICT-solutions, IT product or ICT technologies for use
Government representatives
Trade organisations
Business Enterprises and Investors from the East African community
Business councils
The Aim of the Forum/ Business Conference
The aim of the Forum was to promote successful investments and trade opportunities in ICT based technologies/products for better livelihood. The forum gave an opportunity for business to business (B2B) and Government to Business (G2B) meetings to take place.
Conference location and logistics
The conference were held at At Radisson, Park Inn Hotel and Conference in Kigali, Rwanda
Date of the Forum/ Conference
The conference was on the 20th of March 2018 from 08.00 – 18.00, with field visits the day after on the 21st March.
This was a great opportunity to continue the development of a sustainable partnership between Sweden and the EAC countries. For more information about the EAC Business & Investment Forum 2018, please contact Mr Joachim Davidsson at SWEACC (jd@bopen.se).
The EAC Business Forum 2018 in Kigali was part of the Delegation Trip arranged by Swecare and Business Sweden as they organized a complete program covering both Rwanda and Uganda from March 19th to March 23rd, 2018. For more information about the Delegation Trip, please contact Mrs Shampa Bari, Swecare (shampa.bari@swecare.se).
Register>> info@sweacc.se