Turbine's Innovation Challenge 2026: harnessing AI for a sustainable Mauritius

Turbine officially launched the Innovation Challenge 2026 on 15 July at Les Kocottes, Saint-Pierre. This new edition, coinciding with the incubator's tenth anniversary, marks a new stage in its commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and fostering innovative solutions to address Mauritius' economic, social and environmental challenges.
 

The event brought together Dr the Hon. Avinash Ramtohul, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, alongside representatives from the private sector, the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the programme's partners, namely ER Group, MCB, Eclosia Angel Fund, Blue Azurite, and ER Hospitality, with support from Axess, TGH Holdings, and Le Journal des Archipels. Swarna Gujadhur, Head of Operations at Turbine shared:

Under the theme "Harnessing AI for a Sustainable Mauritius", the 2026 edition is open to aspiring founders and established startups in the ideation, validation, or acceleration phases. It is also aligned with eight United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, each tied to a specific national gap.
 

Starting in September, participants will benefit from an intensive two-month programme of tailored workshops and coaching sessions, with opportunities to collaborate with companies in the ecosystem. The journey continues with the Innovation Challenge Fair in October, culminating in Pitch Day in November, where finalists will present their projects to the panel of partners & investors, with prizes on offer.
 

Speaking on behalf of ER Group, our Group CEO, Gilbert Espitalier-Noël, framed Turbine as the Group's stewardship and regionalisation pillar in practice. For him, backing founders today is an investment in the long-term competitiveness of the economy, and those same founders are best placed to extend that expertise into the region and beyond:

Since its creation in 2016, Turbine has been at the heart of the country's entrepreneurial ecosystem. It has received more than 1,000 project applications, guided more than 150 entrepreneurs through the pre-incubation phase, and helped 35 startups establish their businesses.
 

That track record has earned Turbine a distinct institutional standing. It is one of six accredited private business incubators under Mauritius' National SME Incubator Scheme. It coordinates directly with the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council, which accredits it and co-funds its programs, and works with the Economic Development Board through the Innovator's Visa and Sandbox License.
 

This positions the incubator squarely inside Mauritius' national priorities. The 2026-2027 Budget lists artificial intelligence, green technologies, and the startup ecosystem among its top priorities. Mauritius has also just climbed to 53rd out of 139 economies in the Global Innovation Index, its strongest result in five years and the top ranking in Sub-Saharan Africa.
 

Artificial intelligence sits first on that list, and it was in this context that Turbine convened a panel titled "Harnessing AI for a Sustainable Mauritius" on 4th of August, bringing together partners from sectors such as banking, sustainable investment, and business strategy. AI specialist and Turbine mentor Marc Israel moderated the discussion, framing it around a single question: how far AI can take businesses, what risks travel with it, and where entrepreneurs stand to gain the most.
 

Anielle Carver, Sustainability Manager at ER Property, brought the theme home to one of ER Group's own segments:

For AI to deliver on that, she added, its usage has to remain responsible, ethical, and inclusive if it is to create lasting value for society as a whole.
 

The panel mix of banking, sustainable investment, business strategy and real estate mirrored exactly what a founder needs to solve a real problem. Few challenges fit inside a single industry, and this is where the incubator closes the distance, bringing sectors together so entrepreneurs can draw on their combined expertise. The same principle is now shaping the 2026 edition of the Challenge.
 

The Innovation Challenge returns every year, building on the same foundation: a place inside Mauritius' innovation system and a growing base of ideas. Now it's up to this year's entrepreneurs to turn them into AI-driven, sustainable solutions.

Learn more about the Innovation Challenge 2026 here.