AUC Leads National Initiative to Transform Egypt's Electronics Sector

AUC has been selected to lead the “Invest with Confidence-De-risking Tech Startups Alliance, part of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s Alliance and Development initiative. Spearheaded by AUC’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Onsi Sawiris School of Business and the Center for Nanoelectronics and Devices at the School of Sciences and Engineering, the initiative aims to accelerate innovation and enhance Egypt’s competitiveness in the electronic design and manufacturing sector.

Over the past decade, Egypt’s startup ecosystem has experienced remarkable growth, fueled by national strategies like Egypt Vision 2030, a young and dynamic population, and increasing venture capital investments. Despite this progress, deep-tech startups face significant challenges, including high capital requirements, limited access to specialized equipment, and shortages of skilled talent and expert support. The DTS Alliance addresses these gaps by bringing together key stakeholders to create an integrated ecosystem, positioning Egypt as a regional leader in electronics innovation.

Yehea Ismail, director of AUC’s Center for Nanoelectronics and Devices, noted that the project does not just focus on software development but addresses Egypt’s potential in designing and manufacturing hardware technology — filling a critical need in the local technology landscape. “We have been working with regional stakeholders on this scope, and now it is time to go full scale in our beloved country Egypt and support our private sector to compete globally and attract foreign direct investment,” Ismail said.

“[This initiative] is the perfect opportunity to bring in different stakeholders from our network toward such a promising and strategic national objective."

The DTS Alliance brings together nine local partners across academia, the private sector, public entities, investors and enabling organizations. These include AUC; Zagazig University; Elaraby Group; EMASS startup; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA), Flat6Labs, Den Venture Capital, Startup Factory and Meska AI. 

Hala Barakat '98, director of AUC’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, highlighted the significance of this collaborative network. “[This initiative] is the perfect opportunity to bring in different stakeholders from our network toward such a promising and strategic national objective,” she said. “We formulated internal and external partnerships to ignite innovation in Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and untap academia’s potential in research commercialization.” 

“We have been working with regional stakeholders on this scope, and now it is time to go full scale in our beloved country Egypt and support our private sector to compete globally and attract foreign direct investment."

The alliance focuses on strengthening the electronics sector by localizing design and manufacturing to promote import substitution, supporting export growth and building capacity to meet industry demands. It encourages innovation through hackathons, develops industry-aligned curricula, advances artificial intelligence applications in electronics, and facilitates intellectual property creation and protection. Additionally, it integrates startups into new markets, promotes research spinoffs and attracts foreign direct investment, driving sustainable growth and competitiveness across the industry.

Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour stated that the Alliance and Development presidential initiative reflects the nation’s commitment to innovation through collaboration between higher education and industry. He added that the initiative seeks to harness research and entrepreneurial potential to build competitive economic sectors, demonstrating the power of cross-sector partnerships in promoting sustainable development.