Egypt’s Innovation Nation initiative aims to build a funding and investment portfolio worth EGP 500 million over three years, supporting projects from early ideas and research through prototyping, industrial applications and startup formation, according to the announcement.
Hany Eiad, executive director of the Innovators and Geniuses Welfare Fund, outlined the initiative during a ministerial dialogue at GEF Egypt 2026. The programme is designed to connect universities and research centres with industry, investors and government institutions, while helping turn research outputs and student innovations into market-ready technologies and companies.
The fund is working with the Science, Technology and Innovation Funding Authority on programmes including U-IGNITE, which helps universities strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship centres, and “We Hear You,” a platform for collecting student ideas. Egypt’s Universities Hackathons also link student and researcher projects to national, industrial and social challenges.
The fund said it is supporting innovative graduation projects that address industrial and community problems, including prototype development, access to laboratories and specialised training. It is also expanding “Be Ready” to prepare students and graduates in management, finance, marketing and business development, alongside an Early Co-Founders Program that connects final-year students and recent graduates with research teams and startups.
The ministry said it funded 231 research projects in 2026, worth EGP 685 million, involving 48 universities and research institutions and around 1,500 researchers.
Source: Twasl News
