InnovEgypt: Empowering Entrepreneurs to Fuel Development
Two driving forces for development are entrepreneurship and innovation. Tackling challenges, creating jobs, supporting R&D, and facilitating inclusion are but a few of their countless benefits. Entrepreneurship and innovation can unlock creative potential; they help individuals build businesses and develop services and products to serve society, thus sparking economic growth.
In Egypt, entrepreneurship and innovation are booming. Business incubators, support services, and facilitations are made available to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs, leading to a burgeoning entrepreneurship scene. Such efforts culminated in increased awareness of small and emerging enterprises and in the spread of innovation hubs and business accelerators nationwide. As a result, young entrepreneurs have now better access to funding opportunities and greater chances of having their ideas turn into successful businesses.
An avid supporter of entrepreneurship, the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC) of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) harnesses its capabilities and resources to promote innovation in ICT. TIEC is the arm of MCIT responsible for fostering R&D and innovation to fuel economic growth and national sustainable development and establish Egypt as an innovation powerhouse in the region.
The Center works to cultivate a culture of innovation in the national industry to avail individuals and companies of ICT. It designs and carries out a full-scale range of capacity-building activities as part of a manifold of strategic initiatives that help instill an entrepreneurial spirit in young Egyptians.
One of the Center’s flagship activities is “InnovEgypt,” a powerful program for embedding entrepreneurship schooling early at university and after graduation. The program is the perfect choice for potential innovators and entrepreneurs. It targets young Egyptians aspiring to start a business or those with the top skills that local employers and multinationals look for.
TIEC, through the program, endeavors to advance innovation and entrepreneurship and empower ICT enthusiasts. It offers training in entrepreneurship and innovation to build youth capacity and an innovation-based economy.
InnovEgypt has been tailored to fulfill several objectives, including introducing the fundamentals of innovation and tech management, encouraging students to ideate using design thinking, and addressing pressing challenges through structured brainstorming. The program also raises awareness of innovation protection by delving into intellectual property rights and related topics (copyrights, patents, and trademarks, among others), and helps participants develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Through interactive learning, InnovEgypt introduces the necessary tools to start a business.
The program features three main modules. The first is Innovation and Technology Management. It provides an understanding of innovation as the wheelhouse of businesses. Design Thinking is the second module and core of the program. Students are introduced to design thinking as a human‐centric approach to innovation and a powerful process of creative problem-solving that can be applied to any industry to create solutions. Entrepreneurship 101, the third module, uncovers the basic concepts of entrepreneurship. Meticulous instruction is delivered on the essential tools for potential entrepreneurs to start up small businesses.
InnovEgypt is open to graduates and university students majoring in ICT, who completed the second, third, or fourth year of study at the faculty of engineering, faculty of computers and information, faculty of sciences (computer department), faculty of commerce (information systems department), and engineering institutes. Being actively engaged in a student activity at university, volunteering in social support services, demonstrating strong leadership skills, being a team player, and showing interest in tech entrepreneurship are assets.
The magnitude of InnovEgypt lies in developing the entrepreneurial skills of students and graduates in different domains and inspiring learners to embark on business ventures after graduation. Participants are trained to manage and make the most of intellectual assets. The program, in addition, contributes to the efforts of shaping a high-quality talent pool to meet the growing demand for professionals, builds communities of entrepreneurs and networks of innovators, and helps boost economic growth.
Young people all over Egypt can apply individually or in teams. Training takes place at Creativa Innovation Hubs in Cairo, Giza, Aswan University, South Valley University, Minia University, Sohag University, Mansoura University, Menofia University, Suez Canal University, and New Assiut and Borg Al Arab Technology Parks.
Entrepreneurship and innovation serve as catalysts for prosperity. They have such a positive impact on the economy as they generate more employment opportunities and pave the way for new management and work models and for the development of innovative products and services. Innovation also acts as an engine of development and growth and is key to staying competitive in today's fast-paced business world. https://bit.ly/48mo3Rl #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #startups #startuplife
