Kickstarting businesses and development in emerging markets
The lab of tomorrow is one of the services for private sector cooperation of the Agency for Business & Economic Development (AWE). AWE operates as part of the business and development network Partners in Transformation.
Partners in Transformation is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to actively promote and strengthen cooperation with actors in the private sector: companies, trade unions, chambers of commerce, associations
and other interest groups. Partners in Transformation emphasizes the partnership between the private sector and development cooperation, with the shared goal of achieving a social and environmental transformation in BMZ’s partner countries.
The programmes work with companies, trade unions, chambers of commerce, associations and other interest groups.
Find out more at Private sector | BMZ (German only)
📢 Manuel disponibles en français!
Our track record
The lab of tomorrow has been the programme of choice by GIZ projects, the Austrian and the Swiss Development Agencies as well as companies to solve specific development challenges all over the world.
Your opportunities
Learn how you can benefit from the lab of tomorrow programme.
Solve your development challenge
The lab of tomorrow programme activates the private sector to achieve SDG impact. Your advantages of initiating a programme include:
- Let the private sector solve your development challenge – we help you identify unmet needs with business potential.
- As an initiator, you steer the programme and bring in all the people necessary for success.
- Benefit from our network and gain access to business partners, development agencies, investors, mentors and policy makers.
- The impact created by the lab of tomorrow programme goes beyond development cooperation project lifespans.
Develop your business in emerging markets
Expand into emerging markets together with new business partners! Your benefits of participating in the programme include:
- Business case sourcing: We identify business opportunities in emerging markets for you to choose from.
- Participant sourcing & matching: We match you with relevant local and international companies in interdisciplinary teams.
- As a team, you co-create a new product or service and benefit from business development coaching.
- Partner network access: you gain access to business partners, investors, mentors and policy makers.
Invest in solutions and support innovations
Gain access to impact investment opportunities in various markets and sectors! Your benefits in supporting our ventures include:
- Be the first to know about investment opportunities in untapped markets.
- You become part of our strong network of innovators and entrepreneurs.
- Receive access to invest in our ventures at different stages. We invite you to pitch sessions, demo days and share our dealbook.
- Bring in companies from your portfolio and offer them interesting business development opportunities.
How it works
Find out how sustainable and profitable business models are created in a lab of tomorrow programme and what’s in it for you.
Challenge in spotlight
Take a glance at our most recent lab of tomorrow business opportunities.
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Innovative and sustainable packaging for food processing industries in Egypt
Ready to create impact?
Currently running challenges
Take a look at our currently running challenges and the potential business opportunities they present for you.
Innovative and sustainable packaging for food processing industries in Egypt
This challenge is in phase: Sustainable Business
How can we reduce the negative environmental impact of the food packaging industry by fostering alternative solutions that are more sustainable and thereby provide Egyptian companies with increased opportunities for export to the European market?
Egypt is the largest consumer of plastic in Africa and produces 5.4 million tons of plastic waste due to its large population. Despite the different efforts, the high consumption combined with the low consumer awareness lead to challenges to manage this waste. The high cost of sustainable packaging is also hindering both local consumption and compliance with regulations of international markets. The lab of tomorrow 18 seeks to address these challenges and find low-threshold and scalable solutions to produce sustainable packaging at low cost and make it available on the market.
Partners
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01
Understand
In Egypt, the packaging sector mainly relies on plastic and chemical textile fabrics to meet the required packaging production. This is compounded because of the extensive cost of cardboard/paper and wooden boxes. As a result, few large companies are financially able to comply with the EU regulation on sustainable packaging. In addition, awareness of sustainability is limited in many sections of the population, which means that customer demand for sustainable materials is low. It is correspondingly more difficult to pass on the higher costs for sustainable materials to the consumer.
This underscores why Egypt is currently working on a strategy to reduce single-use plastics. The government's 2030 strategy is aimed at developing the industrial ecosystem into a greener and more sustainable system. While consumer awareness is growing, increasing regulations make it easier for new sustainable products to enter the market. These circumstances outline the need for the lab of tomorrow 18 that aims to address the challenge of sustainable food packaging by bringing together companies from the EU and Egypt to jointly develop business solutions.
Business Opportunities
02
Ideate Solutions
03
Incubate business
3 ventures successfully entered the Incubation Phase.04
Sustainable Business
Labpak
Labpak is s a biowaste centered material innovation facility to produce biobase reinforced biodegradable plastic materials and products serving the local and EU markets.
The Bulk Store
The Bulk Store is selling branded products in bulk with zero waste, starting with detergents. Consumers can have their detergent delivered to their homes in bulk or refill it directly at the hypermarket by bringing their own containers or buying a reusable container on site.
Plastica Co.
Plastica Co. offers a platform connecting recycling stakeholders with plastic manufacturers, as well operating a sorting/processing facility that can meet the plastic manufacturers’ market needs.
More information
Innovative and sustainable packaging for food processing industries in Egypt
This challenge is in phase: Sustainable Business
How can we reduce the negative environmental impact of the food packaging industry by fostering alternative solutions that are more sustainable and thereby provide Egyptian companies with increased opportunities for export to the European market?
Egypt is the largest consumer of plastic in Africa and produces 5.4 million tons of plastic waste due to its large population. Despite the different efforts, the high consumption combined with the low consumer awareness lead to challenges to manage this waste. The high cost of sustainable packaging is also hindering both local consumption and compliance with regulations of international markets. The lab of tomorrow 18 seeks to address these challenges and find low-threshold and scalable solutions to produce sustainable packaging at low cost and make it available on the market.
Partners
01
Understand
In Egypt, the packaging sector mainly relies on plastic and chemical textile fabrics to meet the required packaging production. This is compounded because of the extensive cost of cardboard/paper and wooden boxes. As a result, few large companies are financially able to comply with the EU regulation on sustainable packaging. In addition, awareness of sustainability is limited in many sections of the population, which means that customer demand for sustainable materials is low. It is correspondingly more difficult to pass on the higher costs for sustainable materials to the consumer.
This underscores why Egypt is currently working on a strategy to reduce single-use plastics. The government's 2030 strategy is aimed at developing the industrial ecosystem into a greener and more sustainable system. While consumer awareness is growing, increasing regulations make it easier for new sustainable products to enter the market. These circumstances outline the need for the lab of tomorrow 18 that aims to address the challenge of sustainable food packaging by bringing together companies from the EU and Egypt to jointly develop business solutions.
Business Opportunities
02
Ideate Solutions
03
Incubate business
3 ventures successfully entered the Incubation Phase.04
Sustainable Business
Labpak
Labpak is s a biowaste centered material innovation facility to produce biobase reinforced biodegradable plastic materials and products serving the local and EU markets.
The Bulk Store
The Bulk Store is selling branded products in bulk with zero waste, starting with detergents. Consumers can have their detergent delivered to their homes in bulk or refill it directly at the hypermarket by bringing their own containers or buying a reusable container on site.
Plastica Co.
Plastica Co. offers a platform connecting recycling stakeholders with plastic manufacturers, as well operating a sorting/processing facility that can meet the plastic manufacturers’ market needs.
More information
Our partners
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