The 2026 African Union – European Union-Mediterranean Innovation Fair (AU-EU-Med Innovation Fair) will have a specific focus on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA)! It will take place on Wednesday, 25 November 2026, at CIHEAM Bari, Italy, and online.
The Fair is jointly organised by the African Union, the European Union, and the Union for the Mediterranean, in partnership with CIHEAM Bari, which also serves as the local host. The organisation is further supported by a dedicated Task Force, bringing together representatives from Horizon Europe projects Africa-Europe Innovation Platform (AEIP) and the Consortium Europe-Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation (CEA-FIRST), the ENRICH in Africa Center, the European Innovation Council (EIC), the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, the World Bank Institute of Economic Development, as well as participating Member States and experts from the AU-EU Innovation Agenda and the AU-EU FNSSA Working Groups.
Under the theme 'Turning results into market successes', the Fair will bring together innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and development partners from Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean to accelerate the scale-up, market deployment and uptake of innovative solutions emerging from collaborative research and innovation (R&I).
Building on the success of previous editions in Nairobi (2022), Cape Town (2023), Cairo (2024) and Brussels (2025), the 2026 edition has a dedicated focus on FNSSA. The Fair aims to bridge the financing gap that prevents market opportunities from being generated from the research results of FNSSA-related projects and innovative ventures by connecting high-potential innovations with public and private investors, finance institutions, philanthropic organisations, accelerators and business support organisations.
The AU-EU-Med Innovation Fair contributes to the implementation of key regional R&I policy initiatives, including the AU-EU Innovation Agenda (2023–2033), the AU-EU Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Research and Innovation Roadmaps, and the New Pact for the Mediterranean. Taking place shortly after the second AU-EU R&I Ministerial Meeting, the Fair will provide an important platform to showcase how R&I can strengthen sustainable agriculture and food systems, resilient value chains and economic development across Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean.
The Fair will feature transformative solutions from (i) collaborative AU-EU and Euro-Mediterranean R&I projects with market-ready results and (ii) innovative, science-based and deep tech start-ups and SMEs developing transformative solutions in the priority areas of FNSSA.
The event will run as a full-day hybrid programme (9:00 am – 7:00 pm), combining:
High-level policy sessions;
Two-minute innovation pitches from selected R&I projects and start-ups;
An exhibition and matchmaking space featuring innovative solutions, investors, business support organisations and research initiatives;
Awards for outstanding start-ups and SMEs;
Other networking opportunities.
The Fair is expected to welcome approximately 300 participants on-site, together with several hundred online attendees. Participants will include researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, investors, business support organisations, civil society organisations, policymakers and representatives of international organisations from Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean.
The Fair is organised as part of “Mediterranean Innovation Agrifood Week (MIAW)”, happening at CIHEAM Bari from 23 to 28 November 2026. MIAW is an annual event that brings together organisations, business support organisations, companies, start-ups, researchers, innovators and policymakers to exchange ideas, showcase experiences and build innovative visions for sustainable food systems across the Mediterranean and Africa. Participants are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by registering also for the Mediterranean Innovation Agrifood Week alongside the Fair. Registration is available here.
General registration and the Call for Expressions of Interest to participate in the Innovation Fair are now open on this page (see the buttons at the top of the page).
Start-ups and SMEs are invited to submit an Expression of Interest to pitch their innovative solutions during the Fair and compete for tailored business support and scale-up opportunities.
General participant registration is open, with further information on participation, matchmaking opportunities and the event programme becoming available in the coming weeks.
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