The University of St Joseph in Beirut is participating in the programme (photo: USJ)
LEBANON. A report has just been published on the strengthening of technology transfer in Lebanon in the framework of the European programme The Next Society.
Anima Investment Network, leader of the programme, Berytech and Mohab Anis, CEO of Innovety, an innovation management consultancy, conducted a technical assistance mission in 2019 to improve the technology transfer process in Lebanon through a methodology capable of transforming the work of researchers and students into viable businesses.
The result of the reflection of public and private actors as well as experts gathered under the aegis of Berytech, the Lebanese entrepreneurs' ecosystem, this roadmap proposes twenty-nine recommendations that can be used by universities and other key actors of the ecosystem. They are designed to fill gaps, focus opportunities and identify development possibilities.
In particular, the report defines a funding mechanism and a reward system for applied research adapted to the Lebanese academic context to encourage researchers to develop projects with commercialisation potential. These technology transfer recommendations are based on collaboration with five Lebanese universities: the Lebanese American University, the University of Saint Joseph in Beirut, the American University of Beirut, the Catholic Holy Spirit University in Kaslik and the University of Balamand.
Anima Investment Network, leader of the programme, Berytech and Mohab Anis, CEO of Innovety, an innovation management consultancy, conducted a technical assistance mission in 2019 to improve the technology transfer process in Lebanon through a methodology capable of transforming the work of researchers and students into viable businesses.
The result of the reflection of public and private actors as well as experts gathered under the aegis of Berytech, the Lebanese entrepreneurs' ecosystem, this roadmap proposes twenty-nine recommendations that can be used by universities and other key actors of the ecosystem. They are designed to fill gaps, focus opportunities and identify development possibilities.
In particular, the report defines a funding mechanism and a reward system for applied research adapted to the Lebanese academic context to encourage researchers to develop projects with commercialisation potential. These technology transfer recommendations are based on collaboration with five Lebanese universities: the Lebanese American University, the University of Saint Joseph in Beirut, the American University of Beirut, the Catholic Holy Spirit University in Kaslik and the University of Balamand.
Connecting local research and industry
"In general, there is a need to plant the seed of innovation in academia," comments Krystel Khalil, programme director at Berytech. "Most industries claim to be innovative, but they don't even have an R&D department, which is crucial for innovation," she continues. Hence the interest, as Mathias Fillon, coordinator of The Next Society at Anima Investment Network, points out, "to connect research and local industries. Technology transfer is a major driver of value creation and innovation for the countries of the Mena region".
Other technical assistance missions supported by The Next Society are underway in Jordan, Egypt and Morocco. Others will soon be conducted in Tunisia and Palestine.
See a summary of the report
Other technical assistance missions supported by The Next Society are underway in Jordan, Egypt and Morocco. Others will soon be conducted in Tunisia and Palestine.
See a summary of the report
