AMMAN — Director of corporate communication, innovation, and sustainability at Zain Jordan, Tareq Bitar, emphasized the vital role that
Zain Innovation Campus (ZINC) plays to help Jordanian entrepreneurs overcome the challenges and obstacles that impact the growth of their business, according to a press statement by Zain.
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He also discussed the various initiatives that ZINC has provided since its launch in 2014, sharing that these efforts were made to strengthen the Jordanian entrepreneurship ecosystem. Since their launch, Bitar shared that they have supported around 200 companies.
Bitar said that one of the main challenges facing most Jordanian entrepreneurs is “accessing finance”, which impacts the growth of these start-ups. ZINC has tackled this challenge by providing financial support.
Recently, ZINC distributed financial aid worth JD150,000 to the eight start-ups and seven business ideas that won the fifth edition of the “Zain Al Mubadara” program, which is considered a vital annual initiative by ZINC.
The winners also received one-year logistical support to their developing business model to ensure their entrance to the market and that they get the required investment, the statement said.
According to Bitar, ZINC will launch the sixth edition of the “Zain Al Mubadara” program during the coming month.
This year, ZINC provided financial support worth JD10,000 to the winner of the Entrepreneurship World Competition 2021, which was organized by ZINC in cooperation with Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship.
The qualified finalists will be sent to compete with more than 100 start-ups globally.
Beyond financial support, Bitar discussed the various obstacles facing start-ups: the lack of technical and marketing expertise, as most experts are employed in well-known companies abroad.
To combat these struggles, Bitar shared that ZINC has launched 5,010 events throughout the last seven years, including courses and workshops on technology, industry, digital manufacturing, graphic designs, and 3D-printing trends, which qualified trainers and mentors provide.
Moreover, Bitar shared that Jordanian entrepreneurs face the challenge of entering the market. He pointed to the efforts launched by ZINC to connect them with strategic partners that enable them to enter the market and grow.
ZINC’s strategic partners have reached around 120, and they are adding new strategic partnerships with institutions to support the Jordanian entrepreneurship sector.
In line with ZINC’s growth plan, which is to ensure the maximum number of youth are benefiting from ZINC, Zain signed multiple agreements to offer support to entrepreneurs, including one with the Jordanian Engineers Association and the
Vocational Training Corporation (VTC).
Bitar also discussed the “YESJO” program, a yearly program that targets both public and private school students between the ages of 13–16.
The program is held during winter and summer breaks, and it provides workshops in various fields such as entrepreneurship, coding, robotics, drones, 3D printing, electronic games development, graphic designs, and music.
“YESJO” seeks to assist youth in discovering their interests and developing their skills outside the school to contribute to forming a new generation capable of turning opportunities into success.
Bitar also added that ZINC recently provided a scholarship in the entrepreneurship field to nine Jordanian students between the ages of 15–17 presented by Harvard University students.
Regarding women empowerment, Bitar discussed that ZINC is keen on conducting various skill development programs that target women, especially less fortunate women in multiple fields.
The programs will be held in cooperation with UN Population Fund and the Institute of Family Health.
They will be held annually and cover technology and media literacy, workshops on fashion design, and the knitting industry.
Finally, Bitar discussed ZINC’s support to Jordanian designers through “Dezain Space”, which is a platform launched in 2018 to support the designing industry through Zain Studio, which is equipped with the latest lighting gears and cameras, to provide photography and photo/video montage services to selected entrepreneurs, start-ups, and designers.
Al Bitar concluded by reaffirming that ZINC will continue its role in supporting Jordanian entrepreneurs and Jordan’s economy by providing the market with new business companies.
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