The Emprendeverde Network, a project of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, held a new emprendeverde meeting today at its headquarters in Madrid, the thirteenth, which was attended by Gunter Pauli, the main promoter of the concept of the blue economy, a development model that is based on the premise of using the knowledge accumulated over millions of years by nature to reach increasingly higher levels of efficiency, respecting the natural environment and creating wealth.
40 entrepreneurs from the Emprendeverde Network attended the session in which Pauli gave a masterclass on this model that promotes the development of solutions inspired by nature. Subsequently, he held a dialogue with the attending entrepreneurs on how to innovate and launch companies that face the current economic and environmental challenges in line with the principles of the blue economy.
Afterwards, seven entrepreneurs participated in a session in which, with the help of Gunter Pauli, they analysed how to turn their initiative into a successful business following the principles of the blue economy. Pauli has advised them in a personalized way, providing advice and information related to this new economic paradigm.
During the meeting, Pauli stressed the power of the blue economy to translate the logic of natural ecosystems into the business world and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Iberfunghi, Biomival, Modulab, Ecocuadrado, Feltwood, Ecologing and Agree Biosolutions have been the seven entrepreneurial initiatives and members of the Emprendeverde Network that have had the direct advice of Gunter Pauli.
Iberfunghi is a company that sells self-cultivation kits for mushrooms obtained from coffee grounds. Biomival has manufactured a turbine inspired by the flamingo’s beak that extracts energy from the waves of the sea. For its part, Modulab develops industrialised building products with sustainability criteria. The marketing of by-products from waste and consulting on zero waste are the services offered by Ecocuadrado. Ecologing offers consulting services focused on sustainable design. Finally, Feltwood markets eco-friendly materials from plant fibres, while Agree Biosolutions produces 100% organic fertiliser.
PROMOTER OF THE BLUE ECONOMY
Economist, businessman, writer and member of various international institutions such as the Club of Rome, Gunter Pauli is the main promoter of the blue economy, a model that “responds to basic needs with what is available, develops innovations inspired by nature and creates multiple benefits as well as employment and social capital”.
Gunter Pauli has published twenty books that reflect his vision on how to generate growth in the local economy based on the available resources. For him, the relationship between entrepreneurship and the blue economy is evident. “The blue economy is looking for entrepreneurs who promote nature’s best solutions to face current economic and environmental challenges,” he explains in his book “The Blue Economy: 10 Years, 100 Innovations, 100 Million Jobs (2010).
EMPRENDEVERDE MEETINGS, A CONSOLIDATED FORMAT
With this emprendeverde meeting, there are already thirteen held to date. The meetings are face-to-face learning and networking micro-events aimed at entrepreneurs and investors from the Red emprendeverde community. A consolidated format that to date has had the participation of almost 600 participants and 64 speakers, including experts and green entrepreneurs.
The Emprendeverde Network, which already has nearly 7,700 members, is the first platform specialising in green business aimed at entrepreneurs and investors in order to promote the creation and consolidation of companies or new lines of business in activities linked to the environment, and to channel investment towards sustainable economic activities. The Red emprendeverde is an initiative co-financed by the European Social Fund.
