Startup Ecosystems in the Era of the Knowledge Economy: Challenges, Best Practices, and International Models

Innovative entrepreneurship has become a major driver of economic competitiveness, industrial diversification, and the creation of skilled jobs in the contemporary global economy. In a context marked by the acceleration of digital transformation, the rapid development of AI, and the transition toward a knowledge-based economy, startup ecosystems are now recognized as strategic instruments for sustainable growth. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, historically dependent on natural resources and traditional economic models, is currently undergoing a gradual transformation toward economies increasingly driven by innovation and digital technologies. This evolution has been accompanied by the proliferation of incubators, investment funds, … Continue reading

Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus in MENA: Role of Startups and Entrepreneurship

The MENA region stands at the intersection of some of the most acute resource challenges globally. Water scarcity, energy dependency, food insecurity, and ecosystem degradation are not isolated crises; they are deeply interconnected, reinforcing one another in complex and often unpredictable ways. The Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus has emerged as a conceptual and operational framework to address these interdependencies, promoting integrated resource management and cross-sectoral coordination. Yet, despite its conceptual maturity and policy recognition, the WEFE Nexus in MENA remains largely under-implemented. The missing link is not knowledge, nor policy ambition, it is execution. Increasingly, startups and entrepreneurship are emerging as … Continue reading