Building Bridges Between Innovation and Africa’s Blue Future

Eric Le Quéré, inventor and investor behind the portfolio of Le Quéré SAS’s maritime sustainability technologies , had the privilege of delivering a keynote address at the 3rd Blue Africa Summit, held in Tangier, Morocco, on October 9–10, 2025.

Beautifully organized and led by La Saison Bleue, this year’s summit brought together nearly 100 experts, scientists, business leaders, and policymakers to explore Africa’s pivotal role in shaping a sustainable ocean future.

Among the many thought-provoking contributions was the speech of Mr. Abdeljalil Lahjomri, Permanent Secretary of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, who eloquently connected culture, spirituality, and the ocean in his address:

“Give the ocean back its true place: that of a common good, a reservoir of spirituality, and a space for cooperation.”
“We have turned the sea into a factory of production instead of a space of life. Overfishing is not only an ecological fault; it is a moral oversight.”

Reflecting on these words, Eric Le Quéré noted that the ocean must be reclaimed as a living, moral, and cultural foundation for cooperation- not simply as an economic resource.

Special appreciation was extended to Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Ambassador for the Poles and the Oceans, for his characteristically Breton moderation of the panel “African Atlantic Coast: What Public–Private Cooperation for Sustainable Fisheries?” — “Kenavo, Olivier!” as Eric warmly remarked.

The summit also provided a meaningful moment of recognition for Eric Le Quéré’s ongoing work. H.E. Hamadi Baba Hamadi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mauritania and President of the National Federation of Fisheries, shared:
“I met Éric Le Quéré three and a half years ago in Tokyo. We are very interested in his project.”

Adding to this momentum, Mr. Omar Akouri, President of the FPMA and Secretary General of the COMAIP, emphasized:
“As usual, we are always the last to be informed, while being the first concerned… We would like to be presented with this project; we are ready to support it.”

As Eric Le Quéré explained, “That is precisely why we were in Tangier-  to build a concrete bridge between our pre-industrial innovations and the key fisheries stakeholders of Africa, particularly in Morocco and Mauritania.”

Mission accomplished!

The keynote reinforced the commitment to advancing a portfolio of transformative technologies driving progress across the Blue Economy:
– Decarbonizing maritime propulsion (WINGFURL®)
– Reinventing sustainable and selective fishing (NETLESS®)
– Protecting ecosystems by capturing plastics and microplastics (STREAMESH®)

–Modular, adaptive, rapidly deployable boat-in-a-box (BOAXT™)

Immense appreciation goes out to General (2s) Frédéric Beth, President of AGEOSCO, for his partnership and presence throughout this decisive summit. As Eric aptly stated, “We are doers, not talkers.”

The Blue Africa Summit 2025 once again proved to be a vital space for cooperation, bringing together diverse perspectives, expertise, and innovation to strengthen Africa’s leadership in the sustainable ocean economy.

Looking ahead, Eric Le Quéré confirmed that the next phase will focus on the implementation of these technologies in the United Arab Emirates, advancing the shared vision of a blue, decarbonized, and sustainable Africa.