The Seventh edition of the Pwani Innovation Week 2026, a tech and startup gathering in Mombasa continues to highlight the growing digital and entrepreneurial ecosystem along the coastline.

The event brings together a diverse range of speakers sharing their expertise and ideas to shape the future of innovation and technology in the coastal region and beyond.

This year the event is running under the theme ‘A Decade and Beyond: Youth, Innovation and Coastal Futures’.

The innovation week is run by the Swahilipot hub foundation which is marking a decade of connecting, improving and transforming the lives of young people.

Swahilipot Hub Foundation nurtures youth talent through technology, heritage, arts, creatives and entrepreneurship in the coastal region.

It provides the physical and virtual space that supplies the public, students, and local businesses with access to high-speed internet, computers, and digital tools.

From its beginnings as a safe space for youth innovation, Swahilipot Hub Foundation has grown into a regional youth empowerment and inclusive innovation ecosystem, marked by expanding programmes, partnerships, geographic reach, Pwani Innovation Week, and Swahilipot FM.

Stakeholders maintain that the Pwani Innovation Week has over the years become a display of true innovation, creativity and brilliance.

They contend that community tech hubs bridge the digital divide by offering affordable internet access, practical digital skills training, coding programs, and economic opportunities.

This year the innovation week is being held to promote the country’s robust startup ecosystem and encourage entrepreneurship to transform Kenya from a nation of job seekers into a nation of job creators.

The event also provided a platform for discussions on networking, innovation and digital transformation in helping businesses improve their operations in an increasingly digital economy.

Ambassador Prof. Bitange Ndemo has frequently collaborated with, spoken at, and engaged with Swahilipot Hub particularly around technology innovation, youth empowerment, and emerging digital economies.

Mahmoud Noor founder of Swahilipot hub says they began in 2016 with a bold idea, a safe and inspiring space where youth in Mombasa could gather, learn and create.

He says strategic partners include ICT Authority, Konza Technopolis, Mastercard Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Imaginable Futures and a number of European embassies.

“Empowering our innovators through strategic partnerships is key to unlocking our future,” he said, adding that the Swahilipot hub’s long-term aim is to bring researchers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders and policymakers onto a common platform.

“Swahilipot Hub Foundation has been a beacon of hope and opportunity, empowering thousands of young people through technology, arts, and entrepreneurship,” he said.

Mahmoud stated that it has been a ‘decade of impact and we are just getting started with infinite opportunities offered by digital technology and innovation ecosystem’.

The telecommunications engineer says Swahilipot hub is designed to create a more structured and supportive ecosystem for innovators, entrepreneurs and startups.

He says the annual innovation week provides entrepreneurs and startups with an opportunity to present their businesses, innovative solutions and expansion plans directly to investors and other industry stakeholders.

The Pwani Innovation Week has over the years evolved into a flagship coastal forum highlighting youth-led enterprises, digital skills, and regional economic potential reflecting the country’s surging startup ecosystem and tech-forward momentum.

“A decade later that idea has become a movement changing lives across Kenya and beyond,” he said during an interview with KNA.

He went on ‘it has been 10 years of transforming lives, creating opportunities and believing in our young people by fostering a more startup friendly environment,’.

Mahmoud who is known as ‘chief mentor 001’ says they are celebrating a decade of innovation, collaboration, incredible experience and excitement’.

“We join other digital spaces for business incubators, accelerators and innovation labs committed to promoting sustainable entrepreneurship and social impact,” he said.

He says the Pwani Innovation Week continues to give young innovators a platform to turn their ideas into tangible solutions for communities with discussions on artificial intelligence, financial technology, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure and the future of digital economy.

Mahmoud disclosed that in the past decade a total of 67,000 youth were connected to opportunities through mentorship, innovation and entrepreneurship.

He said this year’s event attracted a diverse range of participants, including businesses, investors, policymakers and industry leaders, all united by a shared commitment to driving innovation-led growth.

“These achievements reflect our decadelong commitment to connecting young people to opportunities, building their capabilities and supporting them to transition into productive employment and entrepreneurship,” he said.

He says innovation hubs create environments where entrepreneurs, researchers and technology enthusiasts work together and exchange ideas that build products and services that improve their communities.

“Technology hubs and innovation centres in urban areas are becoming catalysts for entrepreneurship by providing startups with mentorship and funding opportunities’,” he said.

The innovation hub founder said the technology, innovation and creative ecosystem is expanding rapidly driven by government initiatives, strategic support from partners and growing network of digital incubators in the country.

“We are connecting youth to skills, jobs, enterprises, technology, leadership and financial inclusion and have helped thousands build productive livelihoods while strengthening the economies and communities around them,” he said.

Leaders attending the 7th Pwani Innovation Week 2026 celebrating Swahilipot Hub’s 10th anniversary in Mombasa included Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, Principal Secretary State Department for Science, Research and Innovation Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, Netherlands Ambassador Henk Jan Bakker, French Ambassador Wadid Benaabou, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sultan Hajiyev and German Ambassador Sebastian Groth.

The participation of the envoys highlighted the international dimension of the event as leaders and innovators gathered to explore opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and sustainable development.

Speaking during the event Governor Nassir says for the past 10 years, Swahilipot Hub has been a home for ideas, creativity and opportunity for young people across the coastal region.

He commended Swahilipot hub for its consistency and efficiency in delivering economic opportunities for the youth.

Nassir called for stronger connections between scientific research, startups, industry and society to accelerate innovation and translate scientific capabilities into wider economic and social impacts.

“I take great pride in seeing how far the community hub has come and the many young people it continues to inspire and support along the way,” he said.

The coastal county boss says the Swahilipot hub continues to promote investment, strengthen partnerships and advance digital transformation across Mombasa.

“The Pwani innovation week also serves as a platform for exploring innovation, collaboration and digital transformation that can contribute to sustainable business development,” he said

PS Shaukat called for greater investment in the quality and capacity of innovation hubs across the country stating that hubs would provide entrepreneurs with the support structures needed to turn brilliant ideas into business models.

Prof. Shaukat contends that community innovation hubs such as Swahilipot hub creates abundant opportunities for technology driven entrepreneurship across the country.

He said the digital revolution has been particularly beneficial for small scale businesses and entrepreneurs by using digital payment systems to serve their customers more efficiently.

The PS said community digital hubs are creating real pathways to employment for youth, catalyzing innovation and expanding economic inclusion in line with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

Ambassador Sebastian Groth says young entrepreneurs, innovators and creatives in Swahilipot hub are helping shape the future of Kenya’s coast.

The envoy said Germany will continue supporting the digital innovation space in Kenya and giving digital creators room to explore new ideas and build real solutions to societal problems.

“The energy and ambition here show just how much potential lies in Kenya’s young generation and Germany is proud to support partnerships that foster innovation, create opportunities and empower young people,” he said.

 by Hussein Abdullahi