The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and the Reunion-seit competitiveness cluster Qualitropic have officially signed a strategic partnership agreement. Formalized by Mr. Anfani Msoili, Chargé de mission at the IOC who represented Secretary General Dr. Ibrahim Norbert Richard, and Mrs. Pauline de La Giroday, Secretary of the Qualitropic office, this convention marks a key step in the mobilization of regional economic actors. It was during the Forum 17 SDG on Friday, October 9, 2026 in Saint-Denis de La Réunion by the economic media Le Journal des Archipels.
Funded over a period of 12 months (October 2026 – October 2027) as part of the regional project ExPLOI (Expédition Plastique océan Indien) supported by the Agence française de développement (AFD) and the Fonds français pour l’environnement mondial (FFEM), this partnership with Qualitropic aims to address the problem of plastic pollution at its source. It specifically targets prevention, reduction of packaging use, eco-design, bio-based materials and the deployment of reuse and deposit systems.
« If downstream recycling is essential, the real battle against plastic pollution is won upstream, from the design of products and the choice of materials. Through the ExPLOI project and with the valuable support of AFD and the FFEM, the IOC is proud to associate with the recognized expertise of Qualitropic to accompany companies in our five Member States towards truly circular and virtuous economic models, » said Anfani Msoili, Chargé de Mission at the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).
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– An ambitious action plan for businesses in the five Member States –
Based on Qualitropic’s scientific and technological expertise in bioeconomy, the agreement provides for an operational deployment structured around three major levers for companies in the Comoros, Reunion (France), Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles:
• A cycle of 7 regional skills development workshops: Organization of 6 virtual technical workshops and a regional face-to-face workshop in Madagascar, promoting technology transfer, feedback and the development of cross-border business partnerships.
• The publication of 3 operational practical guides: Development of methodological tools dedicated to the reduction of plastics at the source, the transition to bio-based and local materials, as well as the deployment of reuse and deposit sectors (glass, metal, plastic).
• The animation of a regional eco-innovation community: Structuring a dynamic network bringing together at least 100 economic actors (industrial, SMEs, eco-entrepreneurs, researchers) engaged in zero-waste approaches.
« Waste, and especially plastic waste, does not stop at borders: it circulates from one island to another. The solutions must therefore be regional. I am proud that our competitiveness cluster has been chosen to animate, alongside the IOC, this regional network dedicated to alternatives to plastics. Qualitropic is a team of experts and a fabric of companies, public bodies and research centers. Through this collaboration, we want to create economic and business opportunities, and strengthen exchanges between peers and experts who are already working on this issue. The movement is launched: we are already supporting pre-incubated projects from the ExplOI project, » said Pauline de La Giroday, secretary of the Qualitropic office.
Present at the signing, Patricia Aubras, regional director of AFD, called for this partnership to pave the way for multiplier effects: « For the circular economy to become a reality, we need projects that are good for the environment, useful for the population and economically viable. I hope that this agreement will be much more than a formal act: the starting point for new collaborations, new companies, new solutions and, why not, new regional sectors. Because the circular economy is not only about closing the material loop: it must also allow us to open new loops of cooperation and value creation for the Indian Ocean. »
– What is the ExpLOI project? –
The Indian Ocean Commission’s ExpPLOI (« Indian Ocean Plastic Expedition ») project aims to mobilize public institutions, communities and the private and associative sectors in the fight against plastic pollution.
Implemented by the IOC, ExpLOI acts through scientific research, circular entrepreneurship, awareness and support for public policy. The project has a budget of 6.7 million euros, with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD – 5.0 M€), the French Fund for the World Environment (FFEM – 1.7 M€) and the scientific collaboration of the IRD, in four countries: the Union of the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles.
