Coordination Meeting on ProtoMarket Funding Mechanisms

Professor M. Ahmed, President of the National Coordinating Committee for University Innovation and Entrepreneurship, representing the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, chaired a strategic coordination meeting focused on the practical mechanisms for disbursing budgets for innovative projects under ProtoMarket.

The meeting brought together 69 university directors, directors of research centers and university incubators, university secretaries general, the regional coordinator of the committee, and members of the national coordinating committee. Representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Resources, the National Agency for Valorization of Research Results and Technological Development, and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Startups, and Micro-enterprises also participated. Remote attendance was enabled via video conferencing for those unable to attend in person.

Key outcomes of the meeting included:

  1. Clarification of procedural and financial aspects for budget disbursement for innovative projects.
  2. Definition of follow-up mechanisms for prototypes until their transformation into actual startups.
  3. Addressing the concerns of university incubator managers and formulating recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of this mechanism in supporting university-driven innovation.

The meeting provided a high-level strategic platform to ensure effective funding and follow-up for innovative student projects, reinforcing the university ecosystem’s role in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation.