Page 98 - A Handbook for Academia, Industry and Policymakers: Reinforcing the Innovation-Employability Nexus in the Mediterranean

98 REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 99

THE TUNISIAN START-UP ACT JORDANIAN HIGHER COUNCIL FOR

IN A NUTSHELL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (HCST)

In 2018, Tunisia passed legislation known as the Start-up Act, an Jordan outperforms several countries in the region Enablers in the Jordanian ecosystem
unprecedented legal framework supporting start-ups. The elaboration of in product innovation, technology absorption, Incubator/Techno Parks: iPark, Al-Urdinia Lal-
the act was coordinated by the Ministry of Communication Technologies competition, start-up skills, and cultural support ebdaa, Shamal-start Generation Impact
and Digital Economy and involved the whole Tunisian entrepreneurial indicators. The HCST sees higher education
ecosystem. The legislation offers advantages and incentives to institutions and research centres as central actors Accelerators: Oasis500, Hassad
entrepreneurs, investors and the start-ups. In order to benefit from the in supporting their regional ecosystems through Funds (VC. Angels) Oasis500, Silicon Badia, Amam
Ventures, Seven Circles, Innovative Start-ups
programme, they go through an online application that will grant them innovation and graduates with an entrepreneurial and SMEs Fund (ISSF), iMENA
the ‘Start-up label’, which gives them access to the benefits of the Start- mindset. Its focus is on: Support Organisations Queen Rania Center for
up Act. The latest application window opened in November 2020. Entrepreneurship, ZINC, The Tank by UMNIAH,
• Articulating policies and national strategies to
And what are the benefits? It is a series of incentives to encourage potential support science, technology and start-ups Big by Orange
entrepreneurs (young professionals, researchers, young graduates) to • Promoting a culture of innovation entrepre- www.hcst.gov.jo
take the leap and launch their start-ups. The Startup Act provides some neurship
eye- catching incentives: • Strengthening partnerships and networking
between leading research universities, centres
Start-up grant: an allowance given to the co-founder and shareholder of excellence, and research institutions with
of a start-up to cover living expenses for one year. Its amount is indexed industry
to the previous remuneration during the last 12 months for an employee • Integrating the entrepreneurial mindset as a
and takes the form of a fixed allowance for the self-employed. transversal theme in high education curricula
• Improving access to funding
Leave: founders can take a one-year leave (renewable once) to dedicates • Activating business incubators and
themselves full-time to the launch and development of their start-up; initiating and establishing innovation and
entrepreneurship centres
Graduates: young graduates eligible for employment programmes
including the Stage d’initiation à la vie professionnelle (SIVP), who launch Key initiatives:
or work for a start-up, maintain their right of participation through the • In 2019, the Government of Jordan introduced
end of their relationship with the start-up for three years.
a new Ministry for Digital Economy and Figure 14: innovation plays a key role in addressing
Entrepreneurship (MoDEE) Jordan's youth unemployment
Patents: support by the State of the procedures and costs of registering
start-up patents (nationally and internationally). • In 2018, the Innovative Start-ups and SMEs
Fund (ISSF) was launched as a private sector
managed fund with USD 50 million from the
Positive failure: the Start-up Act does not penalise failure, promoting
the amicable liquidation of start-ups through measures such as the World Bank and USD 48 million from the
Guarantee Fund for Start-ups, exemption from corporate tax, and Central Bank of Jordan (www.issfjo.com)
Government support for salary costs and employers. • In cooperation with GIZ, the J-CORE
stakeholder exchange strengthens the
www.startupact.tn Jordanian entrepreneurship ecosystem,
addressing ecosystem challenges in
coordination with MoDEE

Source: Jordan Statistics Department (2019) 94