Nile University (NU) stands as one of Egypt’s pioneering institutions in institutionalizing innovation and entrepreneurship as a strategic pillar of its mission. Through a unique, practice-based approach, NU has built a comprehensive ecosystem that nurtures entrepreneurs, supports research commercialization, and connects students, faculty, startups, and industry under one collaborative umbrella. The university established the Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Competitiveness Center (IECC) to lead acceleration programs, university-industry collaborations, and R&D as a service. Over 450 startup teams and 800 SMEs have received direct support, more than 200 products developed, while more than 25,000 individuals have been trained. NU is also home to one of the country’s most impactful national initiatives—NilePreneurs—which bridges academia and the economy through innovation hubs, SME development, and policy engagement. Curricularly, NU introduced forward-thinking courses such as Blue Economy Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship for Wastewater Reuse, where students work on real-world challenges in climate-sensitive and underserved regions. Looking forward, NU is launching the Nile Innovation Park, a hub for deep tech and applied research ventures. It is restructuring its innovation pillar into three strategic units—IECC, EDGE (Ecosystem Development & Growth Engine), and IDEA-LAB (Innovation Development & Entrepreneurship Assessment Lab)—to expand impact across research, policy, and education. What remains is scaling this impact, deepening integration with national strategic priorities (e.g., green hydrogen, water security), and ensuring long-term sustainability of the innovation support team and infrastructure.
Finalist
Innovative and Entrepreneurial University of the Year Award
Nile University
Finalist Innovative and Entrepreneurial University of the Year Award
Nile University - Egypt
"Empowering Innovation, Advancing Impact "
Engage on social media
https://www.facebook.com/nu.iecc(The official Facebook page of Nile University’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IECC), showcasing programs, initiatives, events, and impact stories that drive innovation and ecosystem development.)
https://www.facebook.com/nilepreneurs(The official Facebook page of the NilePreneurs initiative, supported by the Central Bank of Egypt and hosted by Nile University, focusing on SME growth, startup incubation, and industrial innovation.)
https://www.facebook.com/wempowerinitiative(The Facebook hub for Wempower, an NU Initiative designed to empower women entrepreneurs through capacity building, mentorship, and inclusive ecosystem support.)
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nu-iecc/(The LinkedIn page of Nile University’s IECC, highlighting thought leadership, institutional partnerships, research-driven entrepreneurship programs, and stakeholder engagement across Egypt and Africa.)
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wempower-for-innovation(The official LinkedIn page of Wempower, showcasing its work in women’s innovation, empowerment programs, and inclusive ecosystem development.)
https://www.facebook.com/NileUniversity(The official Facebook presence of Nile University, providing updates on academic programs, student life, research activities, and community initiatives.)
https://www.linkedin.com/school/nile-university(Nile University’s institutional LinkedIn profile, showcasing research excellence, academic innovation, and strategic collaborations across sectors and geographies.)
https://www.instagram.com/nileuniversity.eg(A visual platform sharing daily life, student engagement, and campus culture at Nile University, along with highlights from research, innovation, and entrepreneurship events.)
https://www.instagram.com/nilepreneurs(The Instagram profile for NilePreneurs, offering snapshots of startup journeys, SME success stories, innovation labs, and outreach activities across Egypt.)
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Summary
Key People
Prof. Wael Akl
University President
Nile Univeristy
Heba Labib
Assistant VP for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Innovation and Entrepreneurship ,
Nile University
Ahmed Saleh
Executive Director of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness Center
IECC (Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness Center),
Nile University
Mireille Barsoum
Director of Ecosystem Development
Ecosystem Development and Growth Engine,
Nile University
El Hassan El Sabry
Director of IDEA-LAB
IDEA-LAB,
Nile Univeristy
Asmaa Ahmed Youssef
Deputy Director of IECC
IECC (Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness Center),
Nile University
Yomna ElNahas
Head of Startup Acceleration
IECC (Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness Center),
Nile University
Duaa Nassef
Head of Business Development
IECC (Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness Center),
Nile University
Amr Hashim
Assistant Professor of Management of Technology
Graduate School of Management of Technology ,
Nile University
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the leadership of Nile University, whose unwavering commitment has laid the foundation for embedding innovation and entrepreneurship at the heart of our institutional identity. In particular, we extend our deepest gratitude to Professor Dr. Wael Akl, President of Nile University, whose visionary leadership and steadfast support have been instrumental in empowering our team, amplifying our efforts, and positioning entrepreneurship as a core strategic pillar within the university. His belief in innovation as a vehicle for societal transformation continues to inspire and guide our journey.
We also acknowledge with great respect Professor Dr. Tarek Khalil, Founding President of Nile University, for his foresight in cultivating a foundation of innovation and entrepreneurship at Nile University.
Special thanks go to the dedicated innovation and entrepreneurship team at Nile University, whose passion, resilience, and creativity have brought ideas to life and transformed vision into impact.
We are also grateful for the support of our strategic partners, especially Central Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, QNB, and ADCB, whose trust and collaboration have enabled impactful programming. Furthermore, we acknowledge the vital contributions of our funding partners—including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, GIZ, EACEA, ASRT, and ISF—whose generous support has helped translate bold ambitions into tangible outcomes.
Images
A workshop on innovating business models to decrease single use plastics
Workshop for Grande Egyptian Museum Innovation Challenge
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Leadership Team at Nile University
Developing Eco-Friendly Filters for the Waste Water Reuse Challenge
A visit from the African Development Bank
Pitching for ISF Competition
Hosting Youth Innovation Events at Nile University
At the Wempower Event - Men are also supportive of Women Empowerment
Lamiaa Salah, an Entrepreneur from Upper Egypt that uses analytics to improve agriculture
Founders in Focus #Wempower
Working with local community on water innovations
Field visits to understand community challenges, part of the course work in entrepreneurship education
Beach Clean Up, to understand blue economy challenges, part of Blue Economy Entrepreneurship Course
IMPACT STORY
Impacting lifes
In Upper Egypt, where agriculture remains a male-dominated field and access to innovation is limited, Dr. Lamiaa Salah El-Din dared to dream differently. As the founder of 5th Generation in Assiut, she envisioned a future where AI and smart agriculture could empower local farmers and open export markets. Her journey intersected with Nile University through the NilePreneurs initiative, where she joined our climate-focused business accelerator, supported by the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.
Through this program, Lamiaa received expert mentorship, financial modeling guidance, and technical support. Her company was connected with investors and showcased at national conferences. Most importantly, she was empowered as a woman innovator in Upper Egypt—invited to share her story on university stages to inspire others.
Lamiaa’s story is one among many. Talents Arena, a tech startup tackling youth unemployment, uses AI to match job seekers with employers in a faster, bias-free process. Meanwhile, Plastka is revolutionizing recycling by building an ecosystem that rewards individuals and businesses for plastic waste collection, turning environmental action into everyday behavior.
These entrepreneurs don’t just speak of funding or training, but of transformation—how Nile University gave them belief, structure, and a path forward. Innovation isn’t just a product; it’s a human story. At Nile University, we don’t just build startups. We rebuild confidence, reimagine possibility, and reconnect young dreamers with their power to shape the future.
LEARNINGS
Lessons learned
One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned is that entrepreneurship in universities must be treated as a standalone pillar—distinct from education and research—with its own vision, strategy, and impact goals. For real change to occur, senior leadership must believe in its value and actively invest in the right talent, resources, and culture to support it.
Empowering teams is critical. I’ve found that engaging youth in shaping the ecosystem not only brings fresh energy but also ensures relevance. At Nile University, we introduced innovative courses like Blue Economy Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship for Wastewater Reuse—taking students into real-world contexts and challenging them to co-create solutions with communities. Experiential learning like this transforms mindsets.
Another key learning: sustainable innovation ecosystems rely on continuous funding and team retention. Matching market salaries, celebrating milestones, and keeping projects in the pipeline are essential to keeping teams motivated and mission-driven.
Successful leadership also requires the ability to connect the dots—linking student ideas, research projects, national priorities, and industry needs to generate sophisticated, scalable outcomes. Appointing industry liaisons and embedding entrepreneurial thinking across disciplines strengthens this bridge.
Finally, don't underestimate the importance of dreaming big. But measure the journey: define your entrepreneurial objectives and key results, track them regularly, and remain agile in your approach.
FUTURE PLANS
What's coming?
At Nile University, the future is driven by a bold vision to elevate our role as a catalyst for innovation, climate resilience, and inclusive economic growth.
We plan to expand our focus on climate acceleration programs, supporting startups tackling urgent environmental challenges. We are also exploring frugal innovation pathways—developing cost-effective, scalable solutions that can be deployed at the base of the pyramid through technology-enabled channels.
One of our flagship developments is the Nile Innovation Park, designed to host startups, corporate R&D, and research translation hubs. A Deep Tech Venture Studio is also in the pipeline to commercialize high-impact research from university labs.
Our future agenda includes stronger alignment with national strategic priorities, such as the green hydrogen initiative. This will activate cross-disciplinary engagement—ranging from value chain analysis (industrial engineering) to green finance (business), water security (desalination research), electrolyzer design (engineering), and sustainable infrastructure (civil engineering).
To support this ambitious agenda, we are restructuring our innovation pillar into three core units:
• IECC: Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Competitiveness Center—driving startup acceleration, R&D services, and university-industry collaboration.
• EDGE: Ecosystem Development & Growth Engine—focusing on partnerships, capacity building, and policy engagement.
• IDEA-LAB: Innovation Development & Entrepreneurship Assessment Lab—dedicated to curriculum innovation and research on entrepreneurial education and impact.
Looking ahead, our commitment remains firm: to build an entrepreneurial university that delivers deep societal value, supports national development, and positions Egypt as a regional hub for innovation.
