Under different funded initiatives, Berytech develops and manages activities for regional and international programs, opening up fundraising opportunities and international linkages, as well as leading initiatives fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
The following showcases both the continuing and the new initiatives in 2019, including ENI CBC Med, ACT Smart Innovation Hub, and The Next Society.
ENI CBC Med: The Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme
Home to some of the world’s most ancient civilizations, hub for trade and transport, unique hotspot for biodiversity, the Mediterranean faces a multitude of common challenges, including climate change, pollution, youth unemployment and social inequality.
Acting together to address these challenges and improve the lives of men and women across the region is the impetus for the 2014-2020 ENI CBC “Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme”. ENI CBC Med is the largest Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) initiative implemented by the EU under the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI).
Program Donor: European Union ENICBCMED
Implementing Period: 2014-2020
Budget
- €209 million overall EU contribution, out of which €188 million for project financing
- €20 million dedicated to Technical Assistance
- 90% contribution of the total eligible budget costs of the projects
- 10% minimum co-financing provided at project level.
- 50% at least dedicated to activities implemented in Mediterranean Partner Countries
Numbers
- 14 EU and partner countries
- 4 Thematic Objectives
- 11 Priorities
General Objective
The general objective of the Programme is to foster fair, equitable and sustainable economic, social and territorial development, which may advance cross-border integration and valorize participating countries’ territories and values. The strategy is based on the following two overall objectives: (1) Promoting economic and social development and (2) Addressing common challenges in the environment.
Berytech: Implementing Partner in Lebanon
Berytech is involved in two of the four thematic objectives, highlighted below.
Thematic Objective A.1 – Business and SMEs Development
Priority A.1.1 – Support innovative start-ups and recently established enterprises, with a particular focus on young and women entrepreneurs, and facilitate the protection of their intellectual property rights and commercialisation where applicable
- Target: 200 jobs created in innovative startups
- Target: 1500 young people and women involved in training and business mentoring programmes
Priority A.1.2 – Strengthen and support euro-Mediterranean networks, clusters, consortia and value-chains in traditional sectors and non-traditional sectors
- Target: 90 new business agreements established among enterprises of the cooperation area
- Target: 180 new products and services sold on domestic and international markets
Priority A.1.3 – Encourage sustainable tourism initiatives and actions aimed at diversifying into new segments and niches
- Target: 40 improved cultural and historical sites thanks to the Programme support
- Target: 25 new sustainable tourism packages created to increase off-season visits
Project involving Berytech: GIMED which aims to support the creation and development of eco-innovative startups in the field of the green and circular economy in the Mediterranean.
Thematic Objective A.2 – Support to Education, Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Priority A.2.1 – Support technological transfer and commercialisation of research results, strengthening the linkages between research, industry and other private sector actors
- Target: 25 university spin-off enterprises created
- Target: 20 agreements signed to boost cooperation between academia and industry
Priority A.2.2 – Support SMEs in accessing research and innovation, also through clustering
- Target: 50 SMEs with enhanced innovation capacities
- Target: 1,250,000 euro as investment in selected SMEs innovation activities
Project involving Berytech: BESTMEDGRAPE which aims to turn waste from winemaking into valuable and innovative commercial health products, supporting at the same time the creation of new businesses.
ACT Smart Innovation Hub
As the name implies, the A.C.T. Smart (acronym for Agri-Food & CleanTech) Innovation Hub is a new out-of-the-box approach by Berytech aimed at strengthening business advancement, economic growth and job creation in the Agri-food and Cleantech sectors in Lebanon.
Initiative Donor: The Kingdom of The Netherlands
Overall Objective
Creating opportunities for innovators, including youth and women, through accelerating job creation and stimulating competitiveness from Lebanon by leveraging and developing capacities, creating an enabling environment, and increasing linkages between Research and Industry for local SMEs and Startups.
Numbers
- 36 months from September 2019 to August 2022
- 2 Accelerator Programs
- 4 Startup Batches
- 200 Direct Job Opportunities
- 400 Indirect Job Opportunities
- 50% linked to youth
- 25% linked to women
Implementing Partners
American University of Beirut, ELCIM, IRI, Food Valley, Wageningen University & Research, Yes DELFT
Support Partners
Arcenciel, cewas middle east, IM Capital , IPTEC, Fondation Diane, Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation, Rene Mouawad Foundation
Fourfold Approach
The novelty of Berytech’s ACT Smart approach is fourfold.
Acceleration: Berytech is converting innovative ideas to growing businesses supporting job creation and economic growth through two accelerator programs: Agrytech for agri-food innovation and Cleanergy for cleantech innovation. The programs each offer up $100K in grants and business support over 11 months.
Clustering: initiated by Berytech and the Kingdom of The Netherlands, QOOT Cluster is strengthening the Agri-Food private sector, by increasing innovation practices strengthening resilience, and international competitiveness.
Think Tank: With the aim to support the creation of work groups to lobby for better enabling innovation andinvestment landscape, Berytech has partnered with the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs of the American University of Beirut who will be in charge of hosting the working groups on Waste, Energy and Water, as well as developing a paper on Sustainable Agriculture.
IP Valorization: Berytech has partnered with The Euro-Lebanese Centre For Industrial Modernisation (ELCIM) of the National Industrial Research Institute who will be in charge of mobilizing Academia and Research institutions to work on commercializing IP for Industry. Four (4) Grants totaling US$100,000 are made available to researchers, with potential to join Agrytech or Cleanergy Accelerator Program in 2020 or 2021.
The Next Society
Berytech is the official partner of THE NEXT SOCIETY in Lebanon, whose goal is to help shape the future of the Mediterranean by mobilizing entrepreneurs, innovators and corporate ecosystems to tackle the innovation and sustainable development challenges faced in the region.
Program Donor: Europeaid
Program goals
- Remove barriers to innovation and unleash creative potential,
- Reinforce innovation ecosystems,
- Push forward concrete solutions and foster value creation, and
- Support entrepreneurs, innovators, cluster and technology transfer managers.
Program Duration: 2017-2021
Budget
- up to 90% for a global amount of €7.8 million budget
- a part dedicated to achieving its objectives in Lebanon through its partnership with Berytech.
Startup Booster Track
For the third year in a row, Berytech partnered with THE NEXT SOCIETY to offer Lebanese startups the opportunity of competing in the Startup Booster Track allowing them to receive tailor-made support to help them go international and raise funds.
Out of the 24 startups who applied, 10 were shortlisted to pitch to a jury who then chose then 3 winners: TeensWhoCode, Live Love Recycle and Cloudsale.
The Startup Booster Track program is developed for early-stage startups in the MENA region who offer impact-driven solutions in technology, food environment, energy, health and social impact. It offers the winners a one-year mentoring program that includes immersion in the European market, expansion of their networks, international business development missions and power-dinners with high level investors to raise funds.
The Mentoring Program
THE NEXT SOCIETY mentoring programs enable participants to be inspired by experienced leaders and successful entrepreneurs. The program – which lasts one year to better support the startups through the crucial times of their journey, is delivered in English, Arabic and/or French by Mowgli Mentoring that has run over 85 mentoring programs across 13 MENA countries and the UK since 2008.
The First Cohort of THE NEXT SOCIETY Levant Mentoring Program Graduate in Jordan
ANIMA Investment Network, THE NEXT SOCIETY and Mowgli Mentoring launched a mentoring program enabling 9 innovators to be matched with 9 experienced mentors. After 360 successful mentoring sessions, a graduation ceremony took place in Jordan.
The pioneering cohort successfully completed the 12-month regional mentoring program which supported participants from Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon including mentees Naim Nasreddine – CEO of Towbe, and Selim Yasmine – founder of 209 Lebanese Wine, and mentors Naila Saba – Co-founder at Avoid Agency and Toufic Gebran – Founder of the Gebran Group.
This graduation ceremony brought together representatives from the European Union, ANIMA Investment Network, Mowgli Mentoring and other implementing partners of THE NEXT SOCIETY as well as the program participants. The ceremony celebrated each person’s journey, highlighted the impact achieved over the past 12 months and provided support for mentor-mentees pairs who will continue with their mentoring relationship beyond the structured program. Notably, Naim Nasreddine and Toufic Gebran were awarded ‘Most Impactful Mentorship Relationship’.
