The Monaco Chamber of Commerce welcomes a German BWA business delegation for its first official event

On Friday 9 October at the Novotel Monte-Carlo, the Monaco Chamber of Commerce (formerly the Monaco Economic Board), with the valued support of the Embassy of Monaco in Germany, held its first event under its new name: welcoming a delegation from the German business organisation BWA. An economic forum, a B2B session and a business lunch made for a productive morning.

As H.E. Mr Lorenzo Ravano, Ambassador of Monaco to Germany, Austria and Poland, noted in his welcome address, the event formed part of the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Monaco.

The BWA delegation comprised around twenty companies and was led by Mr Urs Unkauf, BWA Plenipotentiary Extraordinary for Global External Affairs.

During a morning rich in discussion, participants gave presentations on the Monegasque and German economies. Mr Unkauf introduced his organisation, which was founded in Cologne in 2003 and is funded entirely by German companies and families.

He also highlighted the growth sectors of the current German economy, particularly security and defence, which are expanding rapidly alongside advances in new technologies and artificial intelligence, and healthcare, where Germany continues to produce numerous innovations with global impact.

The BWA representative also stressed the importance of Germany forging strong international partnerships, particularly in the face of current structural challenges such as energy and labour costs. The organisation takes an outward-looking approach through its “International Senate”, a network of entrepreneurs based in many countries. The representative also highlighted the generational change under way in German family businesses, which is paving the way for new decision-making strategies in the decades ahead.

One of the highlights was the insightful and inspiring testimony of Sasha Kunkel, a German entrepreneur based in Monaco and the founder of Algiz Security Group. A former member of the French Foreign Legion, he recounted his remarkable journey, from arriving in Strasbourg in 1996 to establishing his Monaco-based security company in 2007. Today, the business operates in more than 80 countries worldwide. Mr Kunkel is an unconventional success story, and his achievements vividly illustrate the opportunities offered by Monaco’s business ecosystem.

Finally, the event’s main feature was a B2B meeting session between entrepreneurs from the Principality and the German delegation. More than 80 people took part in scheduled meetings, alongside the many connections made informally during the various networking sessions. The business lunch that followed also gave participants the opportunity to connect in a different way, in a convivial atmosphere that encouraged more in-depth discussions.

By strengthening business ties between entrepreneurs in the two countries, the Monaco Chamber of Commerce has taken an important first step towards future collaboration—an exemplary initiative that supports the economic development of its members.

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Press contacts: Benoît Ulrich / Delphine Quilichini – presse@mcc.mc

Photo credits: Sébastien Darrasse / Chambre de Commerce de Monaco