The CEO and Founder of JOIST Innovation Park, Mr. Tasos Vassiliadis, recently visited Mauritius to explore the feasibility of creating an Innovation Hub on the island. The visit was supported by the Economic Development Board Mauritius (EDB), with the aim of understanding the local ecosystem and strengthening partnerships in the areas of digital transformation, education and business development. The visit was coordinated by Chris Clavel – Senior Business Advisor at JOIST India.
During the mission, a key meeting was held with the Minister of Information Technology, Communications and Innovation, Mr. Avinash Ramtohul, who expressed his support for the project. The discussion was substantive and supportive of the future prospects of the project.
Strategic Visits & Collaborations
The mission included a multitude of strategic contacts with universities, business parks, research centers and private entities:
ENL Group – Moka
The visit to ENL in the Moka area offered prospects for the creation of development projects, such as Telfair, les Kocottes, Helvetia and Vivea Business Park. Particular emphasis was placed on the collaboration with Mr. Sebastien de Robillard – Head of Sales at ENL Group in Mauritius, with whom fruitful exchanges of ideas took place, strengthening the interconnection with local business hubs.
Medine Group
The JOIST team met with representatives of Medine, discussing strategies for attracting investments and developing innovative structures. A recommendation was also made for further communication with a banking institution for possible involvement at an investment level.
La Plage & La Turbine
The meetings with the incubators La Plage and La Turbine were extremely creative. Issues of daily life and mobility of young people on the island were discussed, while opportunities for their integration into an international innovation ecosystem were highlighted. Both parties will be key points in the future structure of the JOIST Innovation Hub in Mauritius.
MRIC – Mauritius Research and Innovation Council
The visit to MRIC highlighted the importance of research and innovation at the national level. Particular value was given to the analyses carried out by the organization and how they can strengthen the design of the JOIST Innovation Hub.
Terra Group – Beau Plan
The meetings with Terra Group were also important, with a visit to the Beau Plan business area, as well as a sugar factory and rum storage facilities. The discussions focused on sustainable entrepreneurship and creative partnerships based on tradition and innovation.
Alteo – Anahita
As part of the collaboration with ALTEO, the JOIST team visited the Anahita resort and infrastructure, with an emphasis on the role of tourism and sustainable development in the innovative design of the island.
Universities in Mauritius
The mission visited both the University of Mauritius (UoM) and the University of Technology Mauritius (UTM), two pillar institutions for the future educational dimension of the Innovation Hub. Prospects for cooperation in educational programs, research and connecting the academic community with new entrepreneurship were discussed.
Next Steps
The mission was successfully completed, leaving excellent impressions and important foundations for the continuation of the project. Mr. Tasos Vasiliadis and Mr. Shitij Dewan – Director at Shambhavi Group in India, left Mauritius after completing key contacts, followed by a debriefing with the EDB team.
JOIST will process all this new data, with the aim of the Innovation Hub in Mauritius entering the next phase of study and strategic planning.