This seminar is the final activity of the project “Promotion of Innovation and Technology for SMEs in the Near East” funded by the German government and implemented by giz in partnership with the concerned institutions in Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. The General Secretary of AFEI participated in various activities of the project as a representative of the private sector.
The project was based on the fact that all three countries are facing a common problem; therefore, working on the regional level is useful to take advantage of the strengths of each country. Discussions showed that the challenge is not in the capacity for inventing and innovating in the region, rather it lies in the step that comes after that because what matters at the end is the success in the market (innovation). Presentations put emphasis on the idea that policies (which are guidelines) are inducing the implementation of measures; thus, tow principles should be taken into account in designing policies: (1) to be implementable, and (2) to promote inter-disciplinary activities.
The outcome of discussions and exchange is the following:
– Involving more active players and addressing the issue of communications.
– Linking policies with tangible activities (step-by-step approach): start from where we are, and learn-by-doing.
– Adopting the system perspective: working on all levels, promote linkages, and define interdependencies.
Related links:
Project description on the GIZ website
Downloadable files:
