Jordan Entrepreneurship Summit 2020 concludes

AMMAN — The two-day Jordan Entrepreneurship Summit 2020 came to a conclusion on Wednesday, showcasing Jordan as a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Held under the patronage of HRH Princess Sumaya, the summit shed light on the importance of embedding entrepreneurial endeavours that help achieve resilient growth. 

During the first day, investors from various sectors discussed major success factors in closing investment deals with startups, and speakers were brought together to talk about how can Jordan harness startups for better economic resilience, in addition to devoting time for pre-arranged one-to-one meetings between investors and selected startups, according to the summit’s website.

Also on day one, EU delegate Virginie Cossoul and Emmanuel Noutary of ANIMA Investment Network discussed the significance of networking as an essential means in delivering support and developing an enabling environment for pilot projects and entrepreneurs.

Day two started with master of the ceremony Mohammad Aljafari highlighting Jordan’s potential in innovation and entrepreneurship.

“The goal of holding this summit is to put Jordan at the forefront of entrepreneurship and innovation in the region and to portray it as a country that attracts foreign capital,” Aljafari said.

Also speaking on day two was Hamzeh Shamaileh, Leaders country director, who said that the coronavirus pandemic has proved that the impulse towards digitalisation, automation and innovation has become “a need and is no longer a luxury”.

Moderated by Laith Al Qasem, the CEO of the Innovative Startups and SMEs Fund, the first panel discussion of the summit’s second day focused on the impact of sudden change on the economy and opportunities.

Former minister of planning and international cooperation Wissam Rabadi said during the first panel discussion on the second day that “any kind of disruption creates opportunities, this crisis is unique in its characteristics, and mankind did not experience such a thing in a hundred years, but we are learning and discovering new opportunities”.

The second panel discussion on day two focussed on green entrepreneurship, which was moderated by Shada El Sharif, a thought leader on climate change and green economy.

The summit, co-hosted by iPARK and Beyond Capital, featured a curated mix of experts, thought leaders, innovators, policy makers, entrepreneurs and investors.

The virtual event is funded by the EU through The Next Society, a project coordinated by the ANIMA Network, and Jade which is a project coordinated by Leaders International, in partnership with the Jordan University of Science and Technology.