By Maha Zouwayhed
Innovation doesn’t happen in silos—it thrives when minds, industries, and institutions collaborate to create something greater than the sum of their parts. Lebanon is rich in intellectual capital, pioneering research, and global connections, but these resources often remain fragmented. University innovation hubs change this equation. They are not just incubators—they are the bridge between research, industry, and investment, ensuring that ideas move beyond theory into real-world impact. At the Talal and Madiha Zein AUB Innovation Park (iPark), we’ve seen how tailored support, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and global reach determine whether a
startup scales or disappears into the “Death Valley” of early-stage ventures.
Universities as the Innovation Funnel
Many of Lebanon’s most promising startups were born out of academic research like; Teucer, NeuralVision, VitaeMD, ICreaT, Celitech and WrenEV. Universities offer a unique environment where ideas emerge, maker labs accelerate prototyping, and faculty expertise drives innovation. Without structured commercialization pathways, many innovations stall. University hubs fill this gap—helping research spin out into market-ready companies, connecting founders with their relevant industry, and securing access to early-stage funding.
Collaboration Over Competition: The New Model
The old mindset valued competition, but in today’s economy, collaboration is the true driver of success. One of the surprises that I discovered upon entering the startup support field was that top incubators don’t work with experts on a commercial basis, but on a collaborative one. Organizations like GAN (Global Accelerator Network) support thousands of startups through February 6, 2025 Page 2 of 2 Expert Insights:
University Innovation Programs, The Catalysts for Lebanon’s Innovation Ecosystem mentorship from global experts, investors, and industry leaders—offered as a non-commercial, shared-value network. With that said, it is clear that to build a successful innovation economy, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel—we learn, optimize, build smarter and partner.
The NREN Model: A Playbook for Lebanese Innovation Hubs
A National Research and Education Network (NREN) model could transform how Lebanese universities, startups, and incubators collaborate. In global NREN models, member institutions share infrastructure, pool resources, and leverage group purchasing power, benefiting all stakeholders. A pioneering initiative to leverage is TechCARE (Technology Cooperation Agreement for Research and Education), Lebanon’s NREN, launched in 2018 with eight universities on board. By adopting this networked model, our startups can grow across borders while keeping their back-operations in Lebanon.
The Momentum of Now: Lebanon’s Future in Innovation
The window of opportunity is open—but it won’t stay open forever. Now is the time to align efforts, break silos, and build an innovation ecosystem that ensures Lebanese startups are viable globally while maintaining solid local roots. If we get this right, Lebanon won’t just be a place where great ideas are born—it will be a place where they scale, thrive, and create lasting impact. We believe in a promising economy in the hands of an inspiring and willing group of changemakers and doers. The question isn’t “Can Lebanon build a world-class innovation ecosystem?”—it’s “How fast can we act to make it happen?”
Now is the time.