AMMAN — The National Centre for Innovation (NCI) held its second steering committee meeting on Sunday to discuss progress in establishing the Jordan Open Innovation Platform (JOIP).

 

During the meeting chaired by Secretary General of the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST) Khaled Shuraydeh, NCI Director Huda Rawabdeh presented the centre’s first semiannual report and developments in the JOIP project. 

 

The project aims to improve innovation in the Kingdom and enable stakeholders to benefit from a wealth of information and platform services, according to a HCST statement.

 

The higher council received a $2.2-million grant from the MENA Transition Fund in 2018 to help establish the NCI and its IT platform. 

 

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is the implementing support agency working on behalf of the transition fund to administer the grant in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the HCST, the statement said. 

 

The platform is slated to launch in 2020 and is expected to connect hundreds of organisations, researchers and entrepreneurs involved in research and development, according to the NCI’s website.