The Syrian Ministry of Communications and Technology launched the “Smart Society” project on the evening of Sunday, 30 November, to empower non-profit organizations working in the technology sector and support digital transformation in Syria, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.

The project aims to organize the efforts of youth, associations, and tech initiatives across the provinces, and to direct them toward practical programs whose impact reaches citizens, especially groups with limited access to training and employment opportunities in the digital sector.

According to the Ministry of Communications, the project is based on three main tracks:

• An incubator for youth tech associations to facilitate their licensing and link them to national digital empowerment programs.
• A track to empower existing associations and organizations with a technical focus, through training, events, and involving them in digital transformation projects.
• Attracting non-profit tech organizations, technology companies, universities, and research centers inside and outside Syria, in order to transfer expertise and design joint programs to build capacities.

Minister of Communications and Technology Abdulsalam Haykal said that the “Smart Society” project forms an open partnership platform between the state, civil society, the private sector, and academic bodies, with the aim of improving government digital services and developing direct communication channels with citizens to understand their needs and suggestions.

The ministry revealed that it will soon announce, together with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, the mechanisms for joining these tracks and the eligibility criteria, through their official channels.

A forum for entrepreneurial organizations

The Ministry of Communications and Technology explained that it is focusing on launching innovative programs that contribute to supporting start-ups and stimulating digital economic growth, in line with market needs and the requirements of the coming phase.

In the same context, the ministry held the First Forum of Entrepreneurial Organizations in September, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The forum brought together representatives of 30 entrepreneurial organizations working in the fields of entrepreneurship, technology, and founder support.

It focused on ways to enhance innovation and growth in the start-up sector, and participants called for leveraging graduation projects and individual ideas and turning them into scalable companies.

The forum also discussed the importance of expanding digital education programs and strengthening the concept of entrepreneurship in schools and universities, in addition to the need to update regulations and laws to keep pace with technological shifts and funding opportunities.

Haykal said that the Syrian government has placed innovation at the top of its digital transformation priorities, noting that cooperation with entrepreneurial organizations is an important step toward involving the entrepreneurial community in shaping national policies.

He stressed the importance of developing a legislative environment that encourages investment and protects innovation, and of establishing technology incubators at universities to facilitate students’ entry into the labor market.

Participants in the forum also discussed the challenges facing these organizations, such as a weak enabling environment, lack of funding, and the scarcity of mentoring programs.

The forum’s conclusions emphasized the need to build bridges of trust between the current government and civil society, as an essential partner in restructuring the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Syria.