The Mattei Plan and Euro-African cooperation shape the future of green growth
Africa will once again take the spotlight at Ecomondo 2025, Italian Exhibition Group’s (IEG) flagship event dedicated to the green, blue, and circular economies, held at the Rimini Expo Centre from 4th to 7th November 2025.
On Thursday, 6th November at 2 p.m., the fifth edition of the Africa Green Growth Forum will bring together a broad coalition of public and private actors. The event is organised by Ecomondo, with the participation of the Mission Structure for the implementation of the Mattei Plan (Presidency of the Council of Ministers), the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo, and RES4Africa.
A Forum for Africa’s Green Future
The Africa Green Growth Forum remains one of the most strategic events in Ecomondo’s conference programme. This year’s theme — “The Mattei Plan: Dialogue Between Institutions and the Private Sector for Africa’s Sustainable Development” — underscores the pivotal role of cooperation in driving the continent’s green transition.
The fifth edition will highlight transformative initiatives for clean and sustainable energy access in Africa, notably within the framework of the Mattei Plan and the “Mission 300” Programme. The latter, spearheaded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, aims to provide clean and reliable electricity to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.
The Forum will examine how coordinated public and private investments can generate new opportunities for the sustainable development of African economies, improve living standards, reduce poverty, and foster inclusive and resilient growth across the continent.
Bridging Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean
Also on the agenda, the conference “Strategic EU R&I Projects for the Green Transition in the Mediterranean and Africa”, organised by Ecomondo’s Technical Scientific Committee and APRE, will take place on Friday, 7th November at 10:30 a.m.. This event will showcase how research and innovation (R&I) can act as a bridge between Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean, contributing directly to the implementation of the Mattei Plan and advancing the region’s collective sustainability goals.
Local Start-Ups and Cross-Border Innovation
Innovation will also play a central role at Ecomondo 2025’s Innovation District, which will host a delegation of Moroccan and Tunisian start-ups from the green and circular economy sectors. These young enterprises were selected through the “Luca Attanasio” ICE Lab Innovate for Africa project, an initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurial collaboration between Italy and Africa.
This participation reflects Ecomondo’s broader strategy to position Africa and the Mediterranean at the heart of its international growth objectives. The goal is to enhance development opportunities for Italian companies in key sectors such as water management, renewable energy, agri-food, and the circular bioeconomy.
Since 2017, the IEG event has supported numerous initiatives on climate action, ecosystem restoration, and pollution remediation across the Mediterranean and North Africa, working closely with the European Commission, BLUEMED, WestMED, and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
A Strategic Platform for Euro-African Partnership
In line with the Mattei Plan’s guiding principles, Ecomondo 2025 will reinforce its role as a platform for dialogue between governments, institutions, investors, and innovators. The event aims to open new pathways for Africa’s sustainable future, strengthen Euro-African partnerships, and promote long-term climate resilience and energy security.
Through forums like Africa Green Growth, Ecomondo continues to position itself as a key catalyst for the green transformation, bridging continents and building a common vision for sustainable development.
