The Forum returns to Europe for its 21st year following its 20th anniversary on the beaches of Mauritius, providing a platform for important energy projects to be reviewed and showcased in front of international investors.
Whilst the 20th edition last year reflected on the pivotal players and moments of the last 20 years, this year’s Forum in Lisbon will explore the opportunities and innovations set to shape policy and investment decisions going forward.
Part of this theme will recognise the increasing role of women in the sector, as mobilisers in small communities and industry influencers running the brightest and boldest companies in the energy space – not just on the African continent. The organisers have therefore taken the bold decision to invite only an extraordinary and diverse group of industry shapers [all of whom happen to be women] to moderate all 56 panels of the Forum. This commitment will take the diversity ratio of female participants past 25% for the first time, up from only 9% in 2012 (when only 700 investors attended).
Managing Director Simon Gosling commented; “The Forum’s shift to Lisbon has been warmly welcomed by the Government of Portugal who continues to put partnerships, knowledge and technology transfer and economic opportunities firmly in the hands of all that welcome them. This is especially true in the exciting Lusophone countries, who are seeing massive investment in their natural resource and electricity sectors.
The Africa Energy Forum welcomes a huge number of credible and proven public sector decision makers from all corners of the world, with some 46% African nationals and 21% of total delegates being leading public sector policy makers. Mozambique, Angola, Cote D’Ivoire, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Ethiopia will showcase their latest projects and investment opportunities in this closed networking environment which has earned the reputation of ‘not only being the greatest Africa energy forum, but the greatest energy forum in the world’.”
This year a ‘project successes guide’ will present projects closed over the last 18 months. This will provide insights into how projects reached financial close and what it took to achieve that goal.
Other highlights include a pre-forum football tournament, the EnergyNet Student Engagement Initiative ‘University Challenge’ – where four teams from African Universities compete to take on an industry panel in the closing session of the Forum – major announcements and intimate one-one-one meeting opportunities.
