Center for Innovation and and Entrepreneurship Co-leads the Co-leads the Invest with Confidence – DTS Alliance

Focused on advancing Egypt’s capabilities and competitiveness in the electronics design and manufacturing sector, this university-led strategic initiative is set to directly impact the country’s growing technology start-up ecosystem. Through a partnership between CEI and the Center for Nanoelectronics and Devices (CND) at AUC’s School of Sciences and Engineering, the alliance brings together stakeholders from academia, investment, venture capital and the public and private sectors to address critical resource gaps and build an integrated, growth-oriented system.

In light of the Egypt Vision 2030, the alliance was designed to support sustainable economic development by reducing market-entry risks for startups and enabling their long-term success in the face of challenges. While Egypt has a significant technological potential, it needs targeted support in order to unlock it. This is why the alliance focuses on youth capacity building, developing industry-aligned academic programs, localizing production and manufacturing as well as attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).

Furthermore, the alliance promotes a hands-on approach to learning by hosting hackathons, advancing AI-driven applications in electronics, integrating startups, and fostering applied research and commercialization opportunities.

Hala Barkat, director of CEI emphasized the alliance’s potential in bridging academia, innovation, and research:

 “When we first heard about the Alliance and Development initiative, we knew right away that this is the perfect opportunity to bring in different stakeholders from our network toward such a promising and strategic national objective. We formulated internal and external partnerships with the aim to ignite innovation in Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and untap academia’s potential in research commercialization”.

In the same vein, Yehea Ismail, Director of the Center for Nanoelectronics and Devices, highlighted the impact the alliance will have on Egypt’s economy:

"The DTS Alliance is really unique because it does not just focus on software development, it actually addresses Egypt’s potential in designing and manufacturing hardware technology. We have been working with regional stakeholders on this scope specifically and now it is the time to go full-scale in our beloved country, Egypt, and support our private sector to compete globally and attract FDI.”

Through taking the lead in initiatives such as the DTS Alliance, Onsi Sawiris School of Business strives to be an agent of change, fostering excellence and innovation across sectors shaping today’s economic development.