Stéphane Boujnah, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of Euronext, and Sylvia Andriessen, General Counsel at Euronext, had the pleasure of meeting the young students who wan the Blue Innovation Award, as part of the first edition of the Blue Challenge.

This limited meeting had the objective of sharing experiences, address students' plans for the future, as well as how the project has developed since winning the challenge.

Using ocean resources for sustainable economic growth, their innovative project allows fishermen to quickly locate and recover lost equipment, successfully demonstrating their understanding of the Blue Economy and financial literacy concepts.

For the 2nd edition of the Blue Challenge, we have expanded our programme to Denmark and Italy, encouraging financial literacy, knowledge of the Blue Economy and innovation to limit climate change amongst young entrepreneurs in nine countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. 

Building on a successful pilot during the last school year 2020-21, Euronext and JA Europe have expenaded their entrepreneurship education programme, The Blue Challenge, to Denmark and Italy. Euronext and JA Europe will now be able to boost financial literacy and encourage innovation to limit climate change and to foster the Blue Economy amongst young entrepreneurs in nine countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

The programme aims to inspire students aged 16 to 18 about sustainable finance and help them develop core competencies such as teamwork, problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills.

The Euronext Blue Challenge is the flagship initiative of Our Society, one of five material impact areas within our ESG strategy. Through this collaboration, we will be able to boost financial literacy and encourage innovation to limit climate change and to promote the blue economy amongst young entrepreneurs.

In the course of the academic year, over 250 students will learn about sustainable finance while working on their own business projects supported by mentoring and webinars from Euronext volunteers. After national selections in April, country finalists will compete for the Euronext “Blue Innovation Award”.

From North to South, Euronext volunteers engaged during one week in the water-front clean-up initiatives, in celebration of the International Coastal Clean-Up Day and the European Sustainable Development Week.

Being the first exchange signatory of the UNGC Sustainable Ocean Principles, the conservation of the oceans, seas and marine resources, as consecrated in the United Nations' SDG 14, is a sustainable goal that is embraced by Euronext and it is dear to our community.

Euronext teams from across Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal offices rolled up their sleeves and walked miles alongside the water's edge, filling dozens of bags with trash, preventing it to end in the ocean.