The inaugural science and technology park at the University of Baghdad in Iraq has been opened, drawing on more than two decades of experience from Sharif University of Technology to promote regional innovation.
According to the public relations office of Sharif University of Technology, the park's inauguration ceremony included the presidents of both universities. This effort is the outcome of more than 18 months of ongoing partnership, with Sharif offering a detailed plan for its establishment.
Sharif University has created a five-year plan to share its extensive experience in developing various elements of an innovation ecosystem with the University of Baghdad. The plan is structured into three consecutive phases: the initial one-year phase, followed by two phases each lasting two years, with defined steps, outcomes, and knowledge transfers for each.
The first phase, which has been successfully concluded, involved essential activities like allocating suitable spaces, identifying University of Baghdad faculty members with diverse expertise to support the commercialization of their research, conducting a SWOT analysis, and drafting initial legal provisions and regulations to enhance technology, innovation, and startup development in Iraq's scientific and technological environment.