IPTEC's President Dr. Toni Issa chaired the session on "The Role of the Private Sector in Driving Innovation in Arab Countries", held earlier this month at the UN House in Beirut as part of the ESCWA Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on "Mechanisms to Advance Innovation in the Arab Region". The main objective of the EGM was to actively identify and discuss the strategic options and mechanisms that are useful for bridging gaps in the innovation arena in the Arab region in order to advance innovation for inclusive sustainable development within the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The session presided by Dr. Issa tackled the role of the private sector as a catalyst for innovation in achieving the SDGs in the Arab world, and the importance of developing entrepreneurship ecosystem for bridging gaps and solving local, social and economic problems. The main outcomes were a raised awareness on the importance of innovation policies for inclusive sustainable development through encouraging the private sector to become more engaged in research and development activities, and enhancing the use of new technologies in the business sector.
Other topics raised during the EGM were "Innovation Policies for Inclusive Sustainable Development", "Strengthening National Innovation Systems in selected Arab countries", "Fostering Innovation for the SDGs through Selected Arab Initiatives", and "The role of Academia and Science Research Centers in promoting innovation and knowledge transfer".