The Marine Youth Innovation Challenge has advanced to the next phase of the competition with a Business Plan Development Workshop.

The workshop was hosted at the Durban University of Technology Innobiz – Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and focused on guiding participants through the process of developing practical and sustainable business plans to support their innovative concepts.

These ideas fall within the two challenge categories: the Ocean Plastic Challenge, which seeks solutions to address marine plastic pollution, and the Ocean Innovation Challenge, which encourages the development of products and innovations derived from marine resources.

Through this phase of the programme, candidates are being equipped with the entrepreneurial knowledge and tools required to transform their concepts into viable business ventures.

Facilitated by Khothatso Memela, Innobiz Community Engagement Administrator, this year’s cohort were given value proposition canvases as one of today’s tasks to outline their business plan – including what their product aims to achieve.

Through this phase of the programme, young innovators are exercising their ability to turn ideas into impactful enterprises that can in turn contribute to the growth of the ocean economy.

We thank our valued partners including Sandock Austral Shipyards, the Moses Kotane Research Institute, SAAMBR – South African Association for Marine Biological Research, Transnet National Ports Authority and African Marine Solutions for their support and collaboration.