Bioban wins Côte d’Ivoire circular economy hackathon with agricultural waste innovation

Yamoussoukro — In a groundbreaking display of green innovation, the Bioban project has clinched top honors at Côte d’Ivoire’s national hackathon focused on circular economy solutions. The competition, held from June 17 to 19, 2026, at the Institut national polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB), brought together ten teams of three innovators each, all vying to present the most sustainable waste management and resource-efficient technologies.

Transforming agricultural waste into renewable energy and soil enrichment

Bioban stood out for its pioneering approach to converting agricultural byproducts into biogas for household cooking and organic fertilizers to revitalize depleted farmlands. The project’s win underscores the growing momentum in Côte d’Ivoire toward leveraging technology to combat environmental waste while boosting agricultural productivity.

A competition driving circular economy breakthroughs

The hackathon, centered on the theme “Technological innovation and circular economy: zero waste, maximum impact”, provided participants with rigorous training, mentorship, and hands-on prototyping support before they pitched their ideas to a panel of experts. Organizers aimed to spark fresh solutions in smart waste sorting, biodegradable product design, natural resource management, and waste upcycling—all critical pillars of a circular economy.

Supporting Côte d’Ivoire’s green transition

The event was spearheaded by the Incubateur central of INP-HB, with technical backing from GIZ. Speaking at the awards ceremony, a senior INP-HB official highlighted the urgency of circular economy adoption, stressing that technological innovation is the cornerstone of reducing waste and achieving sustainable growth.

Government and international collaboration fuel innovation

A representative from GIZ emphasized the alignment of the hackathon with the ProREI initiative—a joint effort supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Crafts. The project is designed to foster green, social, and digital innovation while strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises across the country.

The incubator’s coordinator, Guy Corée, praised the high caliber of submissions, noting that the competition raised the bar for sustainable innovation in Côte d’Ivoire. Six projects, including the top three winners, will now receive six months of incubation support, covering legal structuring, market access strategies, and financing opportunities to scale their solutions.

Award-winning impact and next steps

The founder of Bioban, Ndiessa Kwaku Boris—a renewable energy agronomist—expressed pride in the project’s recognition. He detailed how Bioban’s technology not only diverts agricultural waste from landfills but also produces clean cooking fuel and restores soil health, directly contributing to food security and climate resilience in local farming communities.