The Confederation of Citizen Enterprises in Tunisia (CONECT) held on January 26th, 2023 the second Open day and Workshop at the Hotel Lac Leman Tunis, aimed at promoting the concept of a circular economy and sustainable investment. The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from the Tunisian government, research, institutions and private businesses.

The event began with a welcome address from Mr.Chekib Ben Mustapha, a member of the Executive Board of CONECT and a business development expert, who presented the CLUSTER4GREEN project, which is being implemented by the ENI CBC MED program with the support of the EU. The project aims to support sustainable investment and promote responsible projects, as well as create economic opportunities through the promotion and development of the circular economy.

The morning session featured an insightful presentation on the national strategy for a green and circular economy, presented by Ms.Nahla Ounni, the highly-respected Deputy Director of the General Directorate for Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Environment.

The session continued with a series of engaging presentations on various projects and initiatives related to green entrepreneurship. Attendees were introduced to the Switchmed program, as well as the MEDWAYCAP and NAWAMED projects. The presentations were delivered by esteemed speakers including Mme Sallouha Bouzgarrou, Coordinatrice of the Switchmed program (ENI CBC MED) at the CITET- Centre International des Technologies de l'Environnement de Tunis, who discussed the "National Partnership for the Support of Switchers and its Strategic Axes''. Additionally, Pr. Latifa Bousselmi from the Centre de Recherche et Technologie des Eaux, CERTE provided a comprehensive overview of the MEDWAYCAP project (ENI CBC MED), and Dr. Hela Hassairi from the Centre de Recherche et Technologie des Eaux, CERTE presented on the NAWAMED project (ENI CBC MED)

The afternoon session featured testimonials from green entrepreneurs and a panel discussion on the benefits of the circular economy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as the role of public authorities, support organizations, NGOs, and other stakeholders in promoting and supporting the circular economy.

Overall, the event was a success in raising awareness and promoting the benefits of the circular economy, as well as fostering discussion and collaboration among various stakeholders. CONECT plans to continue its efforts in this area through the CLUSTER4GREEN project and other initiatives.