Transcript Document

Collaboration for Development
the Case of the
“Arab Science and Technology foundation”
(ASTF)
“The Power of Networking”
‫مرحبا بكم في عالمنا حيث العلم والتكنولوجيا في خدمة‬
‫التنمية االجتماعية واالقتصادية‬
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Establishing ASTF
About ASTF
The Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF) came into being in the
year 2000 upon the recommendation of 425 Arab scientists during the First
Scientific Research Outlook (SRO1) in Sharjah, UAE.
1 Established by the Scientific Community in April 2000
- 50% of Board are from Arab Diaspora.
2 A Catalyst, Mediator and Supporter of innovation in Science &
Technology and Complement with Arab S&T entities.
3 Adopts International Standards in all its activities (transparent,
merit-based)
ASTF Lines of Activities
Where Science & Technology are Key Drivers
Towards Sustainable Development
Scientific
Community
Collaborative
Research
R&D Grant
Management
Investing In
Technology
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
ASTF in Brief
 The only Pan-Arab independent, Non-Profit Organization for S&T.
 Fully Independent; has no official tie with any local, regional, or international entity.
Yet, continued to Exist without Governmental Direct Sponsorship
 A Grass Root Entity; Established by the Scientific Community.
 About 8 years of Successful S&T Initiatives in the Arab world and Abroad
 Network of 11,000 Arab Scientists, Engineers & Technology Entrepreneurs and
Cooperates with more than 400 International Entities.
 Runs its operations by expanding network of geographical and virtual bodies; 6 offices
and 6 specialized networks, respectively.
 Succeeded as a Business Operation with Private Sector Support. Optimize Resources :
Best Value for Dollar
 Excavate for Leaders with Initiatives (Entrepreneurial Spirit)
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
ASTF Offices
TUNISIA
LEBANON
SYRIA
IRAQ
PALESTINE
MOROCCO
JORDAN
ALGERIA
KUWAIT
LIBYA
EGYPT
KSA
BAHRAIN
QATAR
UAE
MAURITANIA
OMAN
YEMEN
SUDAN
At the present time, ASTF has Offices in:
DJIBOUTI
1) Sharjah (Grants Program)
2) Baghdad (Scientist Rescue Initiative)
SOMALIA
2) Cairo (Extraction of Innovation)
3) Tetwan/Rabat (EU program)
Planned Offices in:
4) Washington DC (US Diaspora)
6) Jeddah (Women in S&T)
5) Amman (Commercialization/Inv) 7) Tunis (TT Program)
8) Khartoum (Arab African Program)
Opened Offices
Future Offices
Existing Nodes
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Networking the S&T Communities
 Extensive Network:
 Connecting over 11,000 Arab Scientist, Technologist and Engineers World Wide
 S&T Events:
 Symposium of Research Outlook (SRO): The Largest S&T conference in the Arab Region
 Investing in Technology Forums: The only marketing event for Arab Tech Start-ups
 Specialized Events: NanoTechnology, BioTechnology, Energy, Semiconductors, …
 Focused Initiatives:
 Scientific Diaspora, Women in S&T, Scientists Under Exceptional Circumstances
 Specialized Networks:
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
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Arab Science Journalists Association ASJA (ASTF/ASJA Science Journalism Awards)
Arab Network on Nanotechnology (ArNano).
Arab Women Association for Research &Development (AWARD)
RD&I Network on Electro-Technology
Technopreneurs and Investors Network
BioTechnology Network (established on March, 2008)
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Funding and Managing Merit Based R&D
 ALJ Grant for Funding R,D&I
 3.0 Years,
 60 Grants
 resulting in 20 promising
commercializabe outcome
 Other R&D Funding Activities
are Underway
 Rescue Grants :
 Iraq Research & Development
Fund
 81 Grants in Iraq assisting 280+
researchers
 In collaboration with Sandia
National Labs, USA
 Soon in the Occupied Territories
of Palestine.
25% of Grants Program encourages Collaborative Research among different
countries, ex. (Tunisia + Belgium) (Morocco + Syria) (Tunisia + UAE)
(Egypt + USA) (Jordan + Germany) (UAE + Qatar) (UAE + Iraq + USA) (Lebanon +
KSA) (Morocco + France + Germany) (UAE + KSA) (UAE + Malaysia)
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Break down of the Applications to the ALJ Grant
July 2005
July 2008
Scientific Screening
Scientific Evaluation
Technology Delivered
1762
Letter of Intents
Submitted from
18 Arab Countries
557
60
Eligible Detailed
Proposals
Funded
Projects
>20
High Potensial
investment value
To Validation and
Commercialization
Modes
Uses & Applications
Prototype Evaluation
Feasibility Screening
Investment Value
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Investing In Technology
 Investing in Technology Forum (Beirut, Jeddah, Manama, Kuwait & Amman)
 Competitions to Extract Innovation:
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Technology Business Plan Competitions
Made in the Arab World
Industrial Business Plan Comp
Best of the Year Awards
 Supporting Technopreneurs:
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56 Startups supported
22 received investment
7 Patents/Licensing engagement Filed/obtained
Training and assistantship
Commercialization of Technology Program
IIT
Forum
 Working on Establishment the Arab Seed VC Fund
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Core
Innovation
Technology
Market
Activities
Extraction
Investment
Bridging
Patents
Catalogue
R&D
Centers
R&D
Activities
Tech
Trans. O.
Tech BP
Comp
Industry
Comm. &
Networks
S&T Parks
Made in
Arabia
Industry
BP C
Incubators
Grants
Program
Incubators
Comp.
Government
Feasibility
S. Support
Existing
Pilot
IP
Licensing
Inv. In
Tech.
Forum
VC Seed
Fund
Commercialization &
Technology Transfer
Academia
Investment Readiness
Society & Scientific Community
ASTF S&T innovation to Commercialization Model
M
A
R
K
E
T
Start-ups
Support
Planned
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
RDI COLLABORATION
IN NORTH AFRICA
AND ASTF ACTIVITIES
The total population of the Arab Countries
is 338.6 million. North Africa (Algeria,
Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan
and Tunis) makes 56%.
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Connectivity within the Arab S&T Community
• In 1995, scientists in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia published a total
of 1264 papers; of these 804 (64%) were co-authored with
scientists outside their own countries. Very surprisingly only 11 of
theses 804 publications involved scientists from two Maghreb
countries.
• The same situation exists among GCC universities published 2716
papers in 1995, 6% of all co-authored papers were in collaboration
within the GCC!
• The Arab countries share a wide range of common scientific
and technical problems. Thus one would expect to find
considerable incentives for co-operation between them.
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
S&T in North Africa
Despite clear progress, North Africa resources on R&D remains modest
• In 2006 Egypt allocated $450m (0.2% of GDP) for 150,000 in Academia
(450k expert) distributed in 219 Center in different Ministries and 114 Center
in Universities.
•In Sudan there exists (2007) more than 31 universities and 50 community
colleges. Yet, the country suffers from severe shortage in academicians,
books, and general resources. Sudan is giving increased attention to higher
education and R&D.
• No updated information on Libya and Algeria. Yet, its been reported that in
Libya has 375 Scientists and Engineers per million and 4518 abroad. While
Algeria there are 60 Research Center and needs 4000. it announced raising
the share of R&D from the GDP from 0.5% (2007) to 1.5% (2009)..
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
S&T in North Africa
•In Tunisia research infrastructures, held by 15700 researchers account for 33
centers, 139 laboratories, and 643 research units. R&D expenditures are
expected to increase from 1.13% of GDP to 1.25% in 2009.
•Country has announced initiatives to boost the contribution of science and
technology to national development including:
•establish a national 'observatory'
•create 12 technology parks
•increase science budget to 1.7% of GDP over the next four years
•double the number of researchers to about 26,000.
• Scientific research in Morocco is a major challenge for economic and social
development is at the centre of government action that foresees a reevaluation of budget allocation to increase R&D contribution from 0.75% of
GDP in 2007 to 1% in 2009.
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Collaboration among NA Countries
• Lately, two centers were established in Egypt for African/N.African
collaboration:
• a US$10 million centre for transferring technology and promoting innovationbased industrial development among African countries (2008) as a direct
action of the African Technology and Innovation Initiative (ATII)
• a US$30 million centre for renewable energy for the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA). It is supported by EU, Germany, Danish and Egypt
• Agreement for collaboration between Egypt and Sudan on cooperate in
the fields of agriculture, irrigation, environment and land reclamation, as
well as industry infrastructure, energy, health, food sciences, higher
education and information and communication technologies.
• Canadian International Development Research Centre to fund
collaboration between Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia to create droughtresistant and salt-tolerant varieties of barley better suited to the North
African region.
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Collaboration between NA Countries and
Developed Countries
• EU and US are taking, since 2003, steps to attract more
scientists from Arab nations into their main research funding
programs.
• North African Countries have established programs on
S&T/R&D with the EU, US and China. Countries are keener to
develop collaboration with developed countries than their
pears. Most of this collaboration is to serve interests of fund
providers than the labor countries.
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
NA in our R&D Grants Program (ALJ Grants)
July 2005
APPLICATIONS BY COUNTRY
July 2008
Others 41 0
Yemen 21 0
Bahrain 10
Qatar 211
Sudan
Libya
25
1
LOIs Total
9 4 1
Proposals Total
Kuwait 2 0
U.A.E.
64
Syria
30
Algeria
20
Oman
18
43
10 0
70
70
Morocco
36
10 3
K.S.A.
38
16
Tunisia
Palestine
26
19
4
5
78
Lebanon
28
89
Jordan
4
33
4
150
Iraq
Egypt
Funded Total
10
49
153
61.4 x10
49
175
3
8
16
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
NA in our Investment in Technology Program
Individuals
Organizations
7%
93%
5 IIT Forums
Total 550 participants
North African
Libya
Egypt
Presented Start-ups
Tunis
Rest of A. World
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
NA in our Innovation Extraction Program
Business Plan Competitions
Sudan
Libya 6%
1%
Morocco
6%
1st Comp
1st
2nd Comp
2nd
Egypt
17%
3rd Comp
3rd
Rest of A.
World
61%
Tunis
9%
48
26
51
Made in the Arab World competition
Morocco represented by 4 teams and
Egypt with 16 teams out of the 42 teams
from 186 teams reach the MIA finals
from 11 Arabic countries.
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Outlook in the Arab World Congress
‫التجمع الخامس ملؤتمرات " آفاق البحث‬
”‫العلمي والتطوير التكنولوجي في الوطن العربي‬
Scientific innovation and Sustained
Development
26-30 October 2008
Fez, Morocco
“‫تحت شعار ”االبداع العلمي والتنمية الحضارية‬
2008 ‫ أكتوبر‬30-26
‫فاس – المملكة المغربية‬
Organized by
Arab science & Technology Foundation
‫تنظيم‬
‫المؤسسة العربية للعلوم والتكنولوجيا‬
In Cooperation with
Ministry of National and Higher Education
Professional Training and Scientific Research Morocco
‫باالشتراك مع‬
‫وزارة التربية الوطنية والتعليم العالي وتكوين األطر والبحث‬
‫العلمي المغرب‬
As part of the 1200 anniversary of
establishment of Morocco and Fez
‫يتم تنظيم املؤتمر ضمن فعاليات احتفال‬
‫اململكة املغربية بتأسيسها وقيام مدينة فاس‬
5th Congress of Scientific Research
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.
Thank You
Arab Science & Technology Foundation(ASTF)
University City - P.O. Box:27272
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971-6-5050551 - Fax: +971-6-5050553
[email protected]
www.astf.net
© 2008 ASTF Foundation. All rights reserved.