Amman – Thursday, January 9, 2025
The Deanship of Innovation, Technology Transfer, and Entrepreneurship at the German Jordanian University, in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship and the Jordan Strategy Forum, held a high-level meeting as part of the activities of the national team for Jordan's report for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). The meeting aimed to discuss the preliminary findings of the national report of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. It was attended by representatives from several governmental entities, private sector companies, and entrepreneurship experts.
The meeting focused on presenting the preliminary results of the 2024/2025 national report, implemented under the project "Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Economic Development and Employment in Jordan (E4DE)," by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, with co-funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU). The goal was to gather feedback from participants and experts on these results and discuss recommendations to enhance the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jordan, particularly with regard to key issues such as education, finance, government policies, and infrastructure.
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship emphasized that the national report is a fundamental and crucial step in monitoring and evaluating the state of entrepreneurship in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The meeting reflects the commitment to working with all partners to enhance the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jordan by formulating recommendations based on the report's results and following up with initiatives aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and enabling them to contribute to achieving sustainable economic development.
GJU highlighted that its participation in the national team for the GEM report aligns with its strategic plans and complements its achievements in this field. The university established the Deanship of Innovation, Technology Transfer, and Entrepreneurship, the first of its kind, with the aim of bridging the gap between academia and industry and promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. This meeting contributes to discussions on efforts and strategies aimed at supporting the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
For her part, the Executive Director of the Jordan Strategy Forum, Nesreen Barakat, expressed that the forum's participation in the national team for the GEM report aligns with its core mission of empowering the private sector and enhancing its active role in achieving inclusive and sustainable economic development. She noted that achieving this requires a dynamic environment that contributes to the growth of entrepreneurship across various aspects, including legislation, infrastructure, financing, and education, while strengthening effective collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure the integration of efforts among all stakeholders. Barakat explained that the importance of the GEM report lies in highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jordan. She mentioned that the meeting would contribute to formulating practical recommendations that will enhance the capabilities of entrepreneurs, stimulate innovation, improve access to financial and technical resources, and create a more supportive regulatory environment for the growth of startups, which will positively impact the national economy and support sustainable development.
It is worth noting that the 2024/2025 GEM report will be launched in February, followed by the release of the national report for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which will include practical recommendations to improve the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jordan. The report is part of the global efforts made by GEM to monitor and evaluate the entrepreneurship environment in more than 50 countries. It highlights the strengths and opportunities for improving the business environment, which helps support policymakers and decision-makers.