Startup funding, regional collaboration, green and digital innovation and more! Randa Awad, Regional Programme Coordinator of From Innovation to Creation, shares how this EU-funded initiative is boosting entrepreneurship and strengthening startup ecosystems across the Southern Neighbourhood. With SPARK and its partners, the programme is helping young innovators turn ideas into action. Read all about it in the following interview.

• What is “From Innovation to Creation” and what impact does it aim to achieve? 

From Innovation to Creation is a four-year EU-funded programme aimed at strengthening innovation through supporting cluster cooperation and start-up ecosystems in the Southern Neighbourhood. SPARK is strengthening innovation and startup ecosystems by providing technical and financial support to startups, building capacities of business support organisations, fostering regional collaborations, and creating networking opportunities. 

• What activities, initiatives or opportunities should young people know about?

SPARK will soon announce the 35 selected startups receiving financial support through the programme. I encourage young people to explore the innovation and startup ecosystems in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Tunisia by learning more about the solutions provided by these 35 startups, which operate in the green, digital, and tech sectors.

• What advice would you like to have received when you were 20? 

Innovation does not always mean reinventing the wheel, it is often about finding smarter, more efficient ways to solve real problems. Start with what you have, do not wait for the perfect idea: Start small, test fast, and learn as you go.