ANIMA Investment Network charts 10-year plan for Mediterranean development

Faced with repeated challenges over the past decade, the countries of Southern Europe have emerged stronger and are now one of Europe’s fastest growing regions and investment destinations. To ensure the region’s continued prosperity, delegates from around the Mediterranean gathered in Athens this month to chart an action plan for the next decade.

Representatives of the dozens of member organizations that make up the ANIMA Investment Network met to discuss the challenges ahead: from shifting supply chains to climate change, from human capital to digital transformation. At the same time the symposium – marking the 20^th anniversary of the network – sought to develop a roadmap of future growth opportunities.

“The events of the past several years have highlighted major changes in the key challenges facing global value chains and, more broadly, international relations,” says Vasso Kyrkou, Director General of Communications, Marketing and Stakeholder Relations at Enterprise Greece and Vice President of ANIMA. “In this context, the countries of the Mediterranean have shown exceptional resilience and have become a magnet for international investment. Association agreements with the European Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area further strengthen the potential of economic integration between countries on the African continent and their European neighbors.”

Created in 2006 as part of the Barcelona Process of Euro-Mediterranean partnership, the ANIMA network brings together 70 member organizations in 20 countries. It serves as a forum for collaboration between businesses, investment and export promotion agencies, public sector bodies and entrepreneurs. It is headquartered in Marseille.