Innovative Solutions for Industry 4.0 in Egypt (ISI4Egypt)

Summary

The Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) and Ain Shams University (ASU) will develop and offer market-relevant education offers over a 3.5 year project period in which the final results and impacts are intentionally sustained long-term by establishing close education, research, and support relationships as well as a potential joint/dual master program.
The Ain Shams University in Egypt and the Technische Universität Berlin have established a trustful relationship. Based on this the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ASU-iHub) and the Center for Entrepreneurship (CfE) at Technische Universität Berlin have started to plan and draft a closer cooperation and the development of joint activities for the next years. Both institutions employ a number of complimentary activities such as the close cooperation with industrial partners, educational and incubation programs as well as applied research. At both institutions, all these activities are executed to create sustainable economic growth and employment by establishing start-ups and by conveying entrepreneurial and innovation skills to students. In addition, the aim of these activities is to provide market-relevant education, research and partner networks to students and researchers.
The CfE and the ASU-iHub are joined in this project by a number of industrial and educational partners both in Germany and in Egypt with a strong focus on Industry 4.0 to deliver the following activities:
1. First, the joint project starts off with a kick-off meeting, ideally in Berlin in August 2022 where the German partners will host a few project personnel from ASU. The ASU team will learn about the TU Berlin campus, Center for Enterpreneurship, and conduct first stage planning for the project. (See measure details in the following section.)
2. Second, the project team plans to conduct a research and innovation showcase conference at the ASU-iHub around the COP27 2022 in Egypt. With 2 days and delivered in a live-streamed format, a series of expert presentations and panel discussions will be executed, which will be open to students, researchers at ASU and TU Berlin with some input from the industrial project partners in Germany and Egypt. This conference will serve to interconnect researchers and industrial partners, igniting interest for the topic among students and additional local and international stakeholders.
3. Second, the ASU-iHub and the CfE will engage in educational activities in cooperation with key business partners in Germany (Conbotics, DADB) and Egypt (youthinkgreen Egypt LLC, SI-Ware Systems and Si-Vision). There are three educational themes that have globally emerged from the collaboration between academia and industry: (i) trans- and interdisciplinarity, (ii) entrepreneurial skills and competences, and (iii) sustainable innovation.
Accordingly, within the cooperation between Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ASU iHub) and the Center for Entrepreneurship (CfE) at Technische Universität Berlin a step wise approach will be taken in establishing the following activities. The development of these educational activities is led by CfE TU Berlin and ASU-iHub, and is supported and substantiated by the business partners, for example by providing case studies, project supervision or feedback, and internships where suitable 
a. Short term: a joint course on innovation and entrepreneurship;
b. Short term: joint summer and winter schools in Berlin (e.g. August yearly) and Cairo (eg. February yearly) in “Sustainable Innovation and Industry 4.0”;
c. Mid term: establishing of a micro-credential in “Sustainable Innovation and Industry 4.0”;
d. Long term: to establish a joint/dual interdisciplinary master program.
4. Forth, the ASU-iHub and the CfE at TU Berlin will apply and jointly further explore sustainable incubation. This means in detail,
a. modifying the provision of shared resources and infrastructure, the facilitation of business support services and the access to network and financial funding, resulting in
more sustainable start-ups and employment
b. establishing a joint business plan competition on “Sustainable Innovation driving Industry 4.0” for students and researchers at both institutions (with business partner
judges) to be possibly held at the conclusion of the summer/winter schools.
c. applying a measurement instrument for Sustainable Return on Investment (SROI) to capture the sustainable footprint of technology start-ups. (at CfE and iHub)
Altogether the cooperation between the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ASU-iHub) and the Center for Entrepreneurship (CfE) at Technische Universität Berlin will have the potential not only to increase employability of Egyptian graduates by conveying market-relevant entrepreneurial and innovation skills with international exposure, but also to consolidate start-up activities in Industry 4.0 towards a more sustainable footprint.

Achievements

List of Publications from the Project

Partners

• TU Berlin

Project Members

• Weaam Mahmoud
• Diaa A. M. KHALIL
• Mohammed Mostafa Ahmed El-Beheiry
• Mohamed Ahmed Elsheikh

Project Leaders