The Advancing Bioeconomy Development in Kenya (ABDK) project, implemented by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), seeks to strengthen Kenya’s bioeconomy through evidence generation, policy engagement, and partnerships between Kenyan and Swedish actors.
Building on recent mapping and cluster formation activities, the project is organizing a Kenya–Sweden Bioeconomy Business and Innovation Fair on December 8–9, 2025. Ahead of the Fair, this pre-event workshop will bring together Kenyan bioeconomy cluster members and Swedish companies to exchange practical experiences, discuss sector challenges, and draw lessons for business growth and innovation.
The workshop will also review findings from Kenya’s bioeconomy status report and ongoing strategy roadmaps, contributing to the development of a National Bioeconomy Strategy. Discussions will focus on policy coherence across key sectors, MSME development, access to finance, and the partnerships required among government, private sector, and research institutions to advance Kenya’s green industrialization and sustainable development goals.
Workshop objectives
Identify challenges and opportunities for MSMEs operating within bio-based value chains, focusing on access to finance, technology, innovation, markets, and enabling infrastructure.
Define strategic partnerships among government agencies, private sector actors, academia, and development partners that can support sustainable bioeconomy growth and innovation.
Outline government actions and policy measures needed to strengthen the enabling environment for bioeconomy development, including institutional coordination, incentives, and capacity development.
Assess existing policy and regulatory frameworks across key sectors, agriculture, industry, energy, environment, health, and trade, to identify opportunities and gaps for integrating bioeconomy principles and improving policy coherence.
Develop a policy-informed roadmap toward the formulation of a National Bioeconomy Strategy for Kenya, building on the findings of the Status Report on Bioeconomy in Kenya (2025).
Lay the foundation for structured stakeholder engagement to guide inclusive, cross-sectoral, and evidence-based strategy development for Kenya’s emerging bioeconomy.
Key Discussion Themes
Policy and institutional frameworks: Examination of the existing policy and regulatory environment influencing bioeconomy development in Kenya, including opportunities for strengthening coherence and alignment with national priorities and regional strategies.
Cross-sectoral integration: Exploration of linkages between agriculture, energy, health, industry, environment, and trade sectors to identify synergies and pathways for integrating bioeconomy principles across policies and programs.
MSME and innovation ecosystem: Discussion on the enabling conditions required for the growth of bio-based micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), focusing on access to finance, technology, markets, and innovation infrastructure.
Governance and coordination mechanisms: Deliberation on institutional arrangements and coordination mechanisms needed at national and county levels to facilitate effective implementation and oversight of bioeconomy initiatives.
Partnerships and financing mechanisms: Identification of strategic partnerships and financing models among government agencies, private sector actors, research institutions, and development partners to catalyze investment and innovation in the bioeconomy.
Expected Outcomes
Agreed modalities for structured and inclusive engagement of key stakeholders in the business-to-business collaborations.
A set of actionable proposals to strengthen the bioeconomy innovation and MSME ecosystem, including measures for improving access to finance, technology, capacity development, and markets.
A preliminary roadmap outlining key policy priorities, strategic actions, and institutional responsibilities to guide the formulation of Kenya’s National Bioeconomy Strategy.
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