THE NEXT SOCIETY is a four-year EU-funded project launched by the ANIMA Investment Network (INSME Member from France) and 30 partners (including INSME as affiliated entity) in 2017 targeting Europe and 6 Mediterranean countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan) as well as the Palestinian National Authority.
The initiative has a triple objective:
1. set up a network of innovators and support their collaboration for an enhanced ecosystem approach;
2. analyse and strengthen the innovation strategies of the countries involved;
3. boost and promote entrepreneurs, clusters and technology transfer offices at a local and international level.
This is achieved by impacting on four levels of the innovation ecosystem:
- The Policy Framework: to foster public-private dialogue and define the priorities to enhance the innovation ecosystem of target countries and roadmaps for the implementation of actions identified;
- The Technology Transfer Office Booster Track: to train technology transfer offices managers like entrepreneurs;
- The Startup Booster Track: to provide tailor-made support to selected startups;
- The Cluster Booster Track: to increase the capacity of clusters through a peer learning approach.
INSME contributes to the policy framework level by participating in the advocacy panel meetings for an innovation agenda: task forces composed by main innovation actors on a national and international scale gathering for one day workshops to discuss and share experiences on innovation and competitiveness as well as identify and prioritize proper actions to improve the countries’ innovation policy agenda.
The task force meets on a regular basis to collect relevant insights from the innovation actors that will be the base to design technical assistance programs with the final objective of developing concrete initiatives and services strengthening the innovation ecosystem of the target countries.
Further information about THE NEXT SOCIETY project can be found on this website, which also represents an important source of information for all those willing to scout relevant business opportunities in the Mediterranean ranging from tools for the identification of business partners to a selection of job vacancies.
Source: The International Network for SMEs - INSME
