The university expects 1,500 innovative projects and 400 start-ups by 2026

Towards the student entrepreneur

The president of the National Commission for Coordination and Monitoring of Innovation and University Incubators, Professor Ahmed Mir, announced on Tuesday the goal of making 2026 a truly "pivotal year". According to him, it will be marked by significant progress in indicators of innovation and business creation in universities. Speaking at a national meeting organised at the University of Algiers 3 on the theme "The strategic transformation of Algerian universities: towards student entrepreneurship", Ahmed Mir said that 2026 should see the achievement of 1,500 certified innovative projects.

This number would thus consolidate the 400 start-ups currently in operation and the creation of 4,000 micro-enterprises within the framework of the Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDCs), in partnership with the National Entrepreneurship Support and Development Agency (NESDA). He also anticipates the filing of more than 1,300 new patent applications. According to him, this represents a steady increase.

1,522 projects awarded the "Innovative Project" label

Looking back over recent years, Professor Mir, who is also Director of Studies at the Directorate-General for Scientific Research and Technological Development at the Ministry of Higher Education, reports that 1,522 projects have already been awarded the "Innovative Project" label, and that 324 start-ups are currently active on the national market. In addition, 2,800 projects have received funding from NESDA, enabling them to be transformed into micro-enterprises.

Ahmed Mir highlights the emergence of a new student profile, with more than 700 self-employed students registered to date. In the same vein, he points out that "27,000 students have been trained in entrepreneurship and micro-enterprise creation by the Entrepreneurship Development Centres, whose training programmes were launched in 2024".

Over 3,000 patent applications

Concerning Technology and Innovation Support Centres, "more than 3,000 patent applications have been filed with the Algerian National Institute of Industrial Property," says Mir. Of this total, 256 patents have been granted, and 56 have been commercialised, reflecting a desire to integrate university research into a process of technology transfer and value creation.

The university expects 1,500 innovative projects and 400 start-ups by 2026

Algerian universities accelerate their entrepreneurial transformation

For his part, Abdelkrim Tifarguenit, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, believes that the national awareness campaign for Ministerial Decree No. 1275, "University degree, economic business creation project", is not a simple call for enrolment. According to him, it is a strategic approach aimed at firmly establishing an entrepreneurial culture within the university and positioning students as economic actors and innovators, rather than simply job seekers. The authorities thus intend to make the university a real lever for economic diversification, where innovation is no longer an option but a driving force for national development.