The Egyptian government has launched the "Alliance and Development" initiative aimed at boosting regional innovation and entrepreneurship through partnerships across higher education, scientific research, and various industries. The initiative seeks to maximize the outcomes of scientific research by establishing partnerships involving universities, research institutions, entrepreneurs, investors, and concerned government bodies.
Minister Dr. Ayman Ashour emphasized the program's focus on sectors with high economic growth potential, making each alliance capable of functioning within specific geographic areas. This strategic approach aims to stimulate economic growth and develop creative ideas by acting as incubators for startups, job creation, and resource optimization.
“The work packages of the alliance include capacity building, awareness raising, and communication among members to establish startups, conduct scientific research, and complete development projects,” Dr. Ashour noted. With the initiative's backing, alliances will receive funding ranging from 90 to 150 million Egyptian pounds. The distributions will average between 25 to 60 million pounds annually in grants and investments over the three-year approval period granted to each alliance.
Deputy Minister Dr. Hassan Othman highlighted the key criteria for application to the alliances, emphasizing the necessity of specifying the purpose and targeted economic development goals for the sector involved. He pointed out the importance of creating high-value job opportunities, increasing exports among alliance companies, attracting investment, and enhancing facilities to support startup establishment.
“Measuring achievement will be through defining performance indicators annually for three years, reflecting the alliance’s success in supporting innovators and community development,” Dr. Othman clarified. This includes assessing the growth of business revenues and exports, job creation attributable to the alliance, and development of research outputs through industrial and academic collaboration.
According to Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, media advisor and spokesperson for the ministry, meetings will occur with alliance members who successfully pass the initial evaluation phase. Each group will present its strategic outline, with subsequent adjustments required for final approval and contracting opportunities afterward.
To support the "Alliance and Development" initiative, the ministry has allocated one billion Egyptian pounds from donor sources intended to finance viable research projects. The ultimate goal is to develop manufacturing capabilities and innovation measures, which aligns with Egypt’s broader Vision 2030 goals and the national education and scientific research strategy.
The initiative is centered around four foundational pillars: education, scientific research, community service, and entrepreneurship support. These pillars are crafted to fuel sustainable and comprehensive development throughout the nation.
