Berytech’s support falls under the following categories: Capacity Building & Networking, Policy Reform, Startup & SME Development, Startup & SME Incubation, Startup Acceleration & Incubation, Student Entrepreneurship Development, Technology Transfer Support, and Women Empowerment.
Within the framework of the ACT Smart Innovation Hub initiative, Berytech is leading on a preliminary assessment of the local ecosystem around clean technology so as to identify the different stakeholders involved in this sector, highlight the gaps and opportunities, as well as select amongst them potential partners that the project should reach out to for set-up of working groups. The working groups would work on the production of white papers on integrating innovation and entrepreneurship in creation of conducive business environment in the three Cleantech sub-sectors: waste, water and energy.
Berytech was the first technology magnet in Lebanon and the region providing a conducive environment for the creation and development of Lebanese startups and SMEs. Berytech has been involved with the Ministry of Economy and Trade since 2014, collaborating around the implementation of the national support strategy for startups and SMEs in Lebanon. In that scope, Berytech has brought in local and international programs, as well as opportunities and fruitful initiatives for the support of entrepreneurs in Lebanon with the ultimate goal of creating a better business environment capable of incubating innovative startups and small companies.
Berytech works on the Lebanon Enterprise Development Program funded by USAID, as well as champions the QOOT Agri-Food Innovation Cluster, co-funded by the Kingdom of The Netherlands. Berytech also conducts the Future Agro Challenge competition in Lebanon to identify the Lebanon Agripreneur of the Year. New programs in 2020 include The Helping SMEs Build Resilience Program in partnership with YBI and funded by Google.org, Water and Energy for Food Challenge part of a large consortium, and the Developing Entrepreneurship for MSMEs program in partnership with Spark. Berytech is also an implementing partner of EU-funded GIMED Project, aiming at supporting green entrepreneurs to better access finance and markets in the Mediterranean.
Berytech fosters innovation through several acceleration and incubation programs aimed at startups, offering them the resources, knowledge, and funding to scale their ideas and grow into an international business with global impact. We support the startups with capacity building, grants, hosting, prototyping, validation, commercialization, internationalization, and fundraising.
Berytech works with the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the agri-food and cleantech accelerator programs, with MEPI for the social entrepreneurship program, the EU under the ENICBCMED Programme for green and sustainable fashion, textile, and clothing, as well as under the NEXT SOCIETY for the Startup Booster Track.
The role of business incubators is to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and managed by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts. Berytech incubated 152 entrepreneurs in 2020, part of different programs and competitions. Specifically, Berytech is providing incubation support part of the Diverting Waste by Encouraging Reuse and Recycling activity funded by USAID.
Universities play a crucial role in supporting innovation and entrepreneurial activities. They provide the conditions, facilities and talent that foster the emergence of innovative ideas. True to its mission to help create jobs in Lebanon and to minimize the brain drain, Berytech supports student entrepreneurship through different programs, and works with the Saint Joseph University, as well as other universities in Lebanon, to push students to develop their entrepreneurial thinking. Berytech also endeavors to include a youth quota in all its programs.
Berytech has been leading on setting a national innovation strategy for Lebanon since 2017. While Lebanese researchers may be good publishers, there is a need to incentivize them and create reward systems to push them to develop projects with commercialization potential. The Lebanese ecosystem is challenged by the lack of funding for applied research, lack of Intellectual Property (IP) policies and support, as well as weak links between academic research and industrial needs.
There is a need to plant the innovation seed in academia. Therefore, there is a need to develop the technology transfer landscape and encourage the development of research that addresses market needs turning it into commercial startups, or better, building connections between the researchers with industrialists.
The process of transforming innovations and technological findings emerging from universities into market-ready products is essential to driving economies forward. Researchers can typically find the answers to various technical challenges, given that they are rightfully connected to their target industry. When and if they are, they would subsequently be prepared to develop innovations that can transform the market and majorly contribute to job creation.
Therefore, technology transfer and commercialization are some of the tools that developing countries need to prioritize. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO, Lebanon is currently performing below expectations given its level of development. However, recently, light has been shed on the potential of researchers to drive economic prosperity and solve current challenges. Thus, the country is moving towards an economy that is driven by production, led by local Lebanese researchers.
Berytech has dedicated a track of activities to support women entrepreneurs in overcoming the constraints they face to thrive in entrepreneurship and in maximizing their potential contributions to the Lebanese Economy.
Within this track, Berytech aims to motivate women to launch, grow and succeed in their own ventures by creating customized programs, competitions and tracks and identifying successful role models, and influence policies towards the support of women entrepreneurs especially in the digital sector.
If you have any questions about Berytech, please email us on community@berytech.org, and we will get back to you.
Berytech is the ecosystem for entrepreneurs, providing a dynamic environment for the creation and development of startups and SMEs, fostering innovation, technology and entrepreneurship in Lebanon.
Berytech Mathaf
Damascus Street, Museum District
Achrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon
+961 (1) 61 25 00
Berytech Mar Roukoz
Saint Joseph University
Sciences & Technology Campus
Dekwaneh, Mount Lebanon
+961 (4) 53 30 40
Berytech BDD 1294
Bechara El Khoury Street
Beirut Digital District
Bachoura, Beirut, Lebanon
+961 (1) 64 95 55
P.O. Box
11-7503 Riad el Solh, 1107 2240 Beirut, Lebanon