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This year, Leancubator was invited to participate in the PowerX Summit organized by Berytech in Beirut, Lebanon. This regional event brought together a diverse group of innovation stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and ecosystem enablers, to explore the future of innovation across the Mediterranean.

Nesrine Ziad program director represented Leancubator during a panel discussion focused on Open Innovation, moderated by Valerie Zakka Standen. The panel also featured contributions from Donato Macario, Ursula El Hage, and Dr. Evan Fakhoury, and provided an opportunity to reflect on the role of open innovation in enabling collaborative progress within emerging ecosystems.

Drawing from Algeria’s national experience and Leancubator’s work with startups and institutions, the discussion focused on four core insights:

1. The Evolving Role of Universities

In Algeria, universities are beginning to transition from being purely academic institutions toward playing an active role in economic and social development. This shift involves moving beyond traditional metrics such as publication volume or academic rankings to emphasize outcomes like applied research, startup creation, patent generation, and industry partnerships. The objective is not to move away from science, but to mobilize it in support of interdisciplinary problem-solving and practical impact.

2. Open Innovation as a Lever for Startups 

Startups in emerging ecosystems often face challenges related to limited funding, fragmented infrastructure, and high barriers to market entry. Open innovation offers an alternative pathway by providing access to real-world challenges, corporate partnerships, and early-stage pilot opportunities. This model enables startups to engage in collaborative experimentation, gain market validation, and build credibility without relying solely on financial capital.

3. Corporate Innovation Requires Structural Commitment

For larger firms, successful innovation requires more than one-off initiatives such as hackathons. It demands a shift toward strategic experimentation, including the implementation of internal fast-track mechanisms, revised KPIs, and a willingness to invest in long-term partnerships. Creating embedded value, through joint intellectual property, local research and development, or technology transfer, is essential to ensuring these collaborations lead to sustainable outcomes.

4. The Importance of Enabling Policy Frameworks

Regulatory support plays a critical role in facilitating innovation. In Algeria, recent reforms have laid the foundation for a more enabling environment. These include the introduction of legal labels for startups, tax incentives for R&D and open innovation expenses, intellectual property fee exemptions, and improved access to funding through national instruments. Additionally, 20 percent of public procurement is now reserved for startups and SMEs, promoting more inclusive economic participation.

The PowerX Summit provided a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and regional collaboration. Leancubator was pleased to contribute to the conversation and share perspectives from Algeria's innovation landscape.

Engaging with peers from across the Mediterranean reinforced the importance of cross-border cooperation and ecosystem connectivity in achieving scalable, inclusive innovation.