The conference “Universities in the Service of Entrepreneurial Development”, organized by the École des Hautes Études Commerciales d’Alger, brought together academics, startup ecosystem actors, incubators, institutions, and entrepreneurs around a shared objective: strengthening the role of universities in fostering entrepreneurial culture and innovation in Algeria.

Through conferences, panel discussions, workshops, and experience-sharing sessions, the event addressed several key themes including university entrepreneurship, innovation, incubation mechanisms, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and emerging startup support models. The conference created a valuable platform for dialogue and collaboration between academia and the Algerian entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Leancubator, represented by Nesrine Ziad, Program Director at LEANCUBATOR, contributed through a keynote presentation focused on collaborative innovation and entrepreneurial support pathways for startups and project holders. The intervention highlighted key success factors, best practices in startup support, and the strategic importance of building structured and impact-oriented innovation support mechanisms.

The conference also emphasized the strategic importance of strengthening synergies between academia, scientific research, industry, and support organizations, particularly private incubators, in order to foster the emergence of high-potential innovations with tangible economic and societal impact.

Discussions notably highlighted the need to develop more operational bridges between universities and economic actors, capable of supporting knowledge transfer, innovation valorization, project maturation, and the development of sustainable and market-oriented entrepreneurial ventures.