Building Egypt’s Next Generation of Entrepreneurs: ITIDA’s InnovEgypt Programme Reaches 40,000 Students and Graduates

The programme reaches 5,300 participants across 23 governorates in its latest edition, continuing more than a decade of efforts to embed innovation and entrepreneurship among young people

Building a strong startup ecosystem begins long before a company is established. It starts with developing an entrepreneurial mindset, equipping young people with the skills to identify opportunities, solve problems creatively and turn innovative ideas into viable business ventures

This has been at the heart of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency’s (ITIDA) efforts through its Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), which has been fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among Egyptian students and graduates for more than a decade through its InnovEgypt programme

The programme has concluded its latest edition, reaching 5,300 students and graduates across 23 governorates, bringing its total number of beneficiaries to approximately 40,000 since its launch in 2013

Developed based on international studies on integrating entrepreneurship education into academic curricula before and after graduation, InnovEgypt provides specialised training in innovation and technology management, design thinking, entrepreneurship fundamentals and intellectual property management. It equips participants with the knowledge and practical skills to identify challenges and opportunities, develop innovative solutions and understand the fundamentals of building ventures

Building an entrepreneurial mindset from the ground up

ITIDA’s approach recognises that developing a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem requires more than supporting startups at their establishment and growth stages. It also means building the foundations from which these ventures emerge by introducing young people to entrepreneurial thinking early in their academic and professional journeys

Through interactive training, teamwork and practical exercises, InnovEgypt encourages participants to apply innovation and entrepreneurship concepts to developing potential business ideas. It also familiarises them with the pathways available to access TIEC’s specialised support programmes, subject to each programme’s eligibility requirements and selection criteria

The programme’s objective extends beyond preparing future founders. It seeks to make entrepreneurship a more accessible and informed career pathway, while developing problem-solving, creative thinking and opportunity-identification skills that are valuable across the wider technology sector

Expanding access to innovation nationwide

Extending its activities across 23 governorates, InnovEgypt reflects ITIDA’s commitment to broadening access to entrepreneurship education and capacity-building opportunities beyond the country’s traditional innovation centres

This nationwide reach helps expand the pool of young people exposed to innovation and entrepreneurial thinking, creating opportunities to identify promising talent and ideas from across Egypt and encourage wider participation in the country’s innovation ecosystem

Part of a wider ecosystem-building strategy

InnovEgypt complements TIEC’s broader portfolio of initiatives and programmes supporting individuals and technology ventures at different stages of development. Together, these initiatives provide a progressive pathway that begins with awareness-raising and capacity building, extends to idea development and support for promising ventures, and contributes to strengthening Egypt’s technology entrepreneurship landscape

Through this integrated approach, ITIDA is working to build a sustainable foundation for technological innovation and entrepreneurship, expand the pipeline of potential technology ventures and support the long-term growth and competitiveness of Egypt’s ICT industry