UJIEC - University of Jordan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center

What UJIEC - University of Jordan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center does

The University of Jordan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (UJIEC) is a non-profit university center established at the end of 2015 by the University of Jordan Board of Trustees, succeeding the prior Industrial and Agricultural Business Incubator. Headquartered on the University of Jordan campus in Al-Jubeiha, Amman, with a team of 8 led by Director Dr. Reem Al-Fayez and Assistant Directors Dr. Mohammad AL-Momani and Lina Malkawi, the center serves the UJ student, faculty, and administrative staff community. Its core offering is the semi-annual Start@UJ incubation program, which runs ideation, business planning, and market validation training; screening; intensive bootcamps; and pitch competitions, distributing tiered financial grants of up to 5,000 JD (1st: 5,000 JD; 2nd: 4,000 JD; 3rd: 3,000 JD; 4th: 2,000 JD; 5th-10th: 1,000 JD) based on project progress. Complementary offerings include an entrepreneurship support services suite covering pre-incubation support, prototype development funding, mentorship, patent registration support, co-working space, networking events, and annual Innovation Awards for faculty. The center also incubated the student-built V MEDx virtual reality medical education platform launched in 2026.

UJIEC operates on a university-funded non-profit model, with all services provided free of charge to eligible participants. Funding flows from the University of Jordan budget, the Ministry of Higher Education's Scientific Research and Innovation Support Fund, and external grants. The center's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: it leverages on-campus communications channels, the @UJIECenter Twitter and Facebook pages, organized workshops and hackathons (UJ Innovation Day, design thinking sessions, networking ceremonies), national forums (Ministry of Youth National Forum for Entrepreneurs, Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship), and international exhibitions. Its distribution and partnership network spans telco-backed incubators (ZINC by Zain, Tank Umniah, Orange Jordan), donor-funded programs (iPARK's Youth Grow Activity, Crown Prince Foundation, SPARK Jordan), academic institutions (University of Texas at Austin, le cnam, WIPO TISC consideration, Ibtikar Association), and ecosystem bodies (Amman Chamber of Commerce and Industry). Cumulative reported outcomes include 53+ incubated projects, 400+ workshops and student activities, 48+ disclosures, and 14,500+ beneficiaries. The center does not develop proprietary AI or technology products; its core technology is the entrepreneurship support infrastructure itself.

Name

UJIEC - University of Jordan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center

Legal name

University of Jordan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center

Website

https://centers.ju.edu.jo

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UJIEC is the University of Jordan's non-profit innovation and entrepreneurship center, established 2015, providing free incubation, mentorship, training, and seed grants up to 5,000 JD to UJ students, faculty, and staff through its Start@UJ program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Entrepreneurship Incubation

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Entrepreneurship training programs
• University innovation center
• Business incubation programs
• Innovation support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amman

HQ country

Jordan

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. University-funded operations: UJIEC operates as a research and support center within the University of Jordan, funded through university resources and external grants. Services are provided free of charge to eligible participants (UJ students, faculty, and staff).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UJIEC is a university-based innovation and entrepreneurship center that delivers a semi-annual Start@UJ incubation program with seed grants up to 5,000 JD, along with pre-incubation support, professional training in ideation and business planning, one-on-one mentorship, co-working workspace, and patent registration assistance. Services are provided free of charge to University of Jordan students, faculty, and administrative staff, supporting the transformation of academic ideas and research into commercial startups within Jordan's innovation ecosystem.

Product overview

UJIEC (University of Jordan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center) is an innovation and entrepreneurship hub that provides a comprehensive ecosystem for startups and innovators. The center operates as a multi-product organization offering the Start @ UJ incubation program for entrepreneurial projects, the V MEDx virtual reality medical education platform, professional training programs covering ideation and design thinking, entrepreneurship support services including pre-incubation support and mentorship, and annual Innovation Awards for faculty. The center serves University of Jordan students, faculty, and staff by providing financial support (up to 5000 JDs), technical assistance, workspace, and connections to investors and business incubators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Start@UJ Incubation Program A semi-annual incubation program for entrepreneurial projects from University of Jordan staff, faculty members, and students, offering pre-seed funding up to 5,000 JD along with technical support, intensive training bootcamps, and pitch competitions to develop ideas into commercial ventures.
• Entrepreneurship Support Services Comprehensive entrepreneurship support services including pre-incubation support, prototype development funding, mentorship, training and education, patent registration support, networking events, and co-working collaboration space for UJ students, faculty, and staff.
• Training Programs Professional training programs covering ideation and design thinking, business plan development, and market validation, valuation, and research planning for University of Jordan students, faculty, and aspiring entrepreneurs.
• V MEDx Virtual Reality Medical Education Platform Virtual reality-based medical education platform developed by University of Jordan students at UJIEC that simulates clinical examination scenarios covering heart, lungs, and nervous system examinations, as well as medical history simulation for various cases, with self-corrective learning content supervised by specialized doctors.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• ZINC by ZaincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partnership for startup incubation and co-working space. UJIEC provides startups with access to ZINC facilities for incubation, acceleration, and collaborative workspace through this partnership.
• Tank UmniahcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUmniah's startup incubator tank provides additional incubation pathway for UJIEC startups. Startups can access acceleration programs and mentorship through this partnership.
• iPARK (Youth Grow Activity)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartneriPARK operates the Youth Grow Activity (YGA) program which partners with UJIEC to provide incubation support for Jordanian startups. iPARK provides comprehensive services including entrepreneurship enablement, specialized consulting, legal support, capacity building, and IP marketing.
• Ibtikar Association for Creativity DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed to provide scientific support, training, and expert advice. The partnership involves participation in events and activities and educating students in science, engineering, and innovation fields.
• University of Texas at AustinmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelegation visited UJIEC to discuss cooperation in innovation and leadership focusing on green environment and sustainable energy sectors. Representatives from UJ engineering, energy, and environment departments participated.
• Center for Innovation and Development - Public Security DirectoratemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation discussion held with Vice President for Scientific Schools and Center directors to explore areas of collaboration in innovation support.
• SPARK JordanmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerDutch organization that cooperated with UJIEC to organize a reception and networking ceremony for the entire innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jordan, sponsored by the Minister of Youth and Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIPO Deputy Director General visited UJ to discuss UJIEC potential membership in WIPO Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) Program. UJ President confirmed continued support for the innovation center.
• le cnam (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench institution delegation visited UJIEC for potential collaboration in innovation and entrepreneurship education.
• Orange JordancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTelecommunications partner supporting startup ecosystem through potential incubation and acceleration programs.
• Crown Prince FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic partner supporting youth entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives in Jordan.
• Amman Chamber of Commerce and IndustrymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting networking between startups and the business community in Amman.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• SPARK Jordan: SPARK is a Dutch-founded organization active in Jordan's youth entrepreneurship ecosystem and partner of UJIEC in networking events; comparable as a regional ecosystem builder supporting MENA startups and SMEs.

Direct peers

• Oasis500: Oasis500 is Jordan's flagship seed accelerator for early-stage tech startups. Comparable to UJIEC in serving Jordanian founders with mentorship and pre-seed capital, though more fintech/digital focused.
• Tank Umniah (Omniya Tank): Tank is Umniah's telecom-backed startup accelerator and a strategic channel partner to UJIEC, delivering acceleration and mentorship to Jordanian founders with comparable incubator services.
• Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) Innovation Center: JUST is Jordan's second-largest public university and operates an innovation/incubation unit analogous to UJIEC, making it a direct domestic peer in university-based entrepreneurship support.
• iPARK: iPARK operates the Youth Grow Activity (YGA) program with UJIEC and is a core implementation partner providing incubation, IP, and capacity-building services to Jordanian startups. Direct coordination with UJIEC's incubation pipeline.
• ZINC by Zain: ZINC is Zain Jordan's startup incubator and a channel partner to UJIEC, providing co-working, acceleration, and incubation pathways for Jordan-based entrepreneurs, overlapping directly with UJIEC's Start@UJ portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab (MITEF Pan Arab): MITEF Pan Arab is a prominent regional startup competition and accelerator network across the Arab world, comparable in mission to UJIEC's regional startup advancement and competition activities (e.g., Startup10).
• Startupbootcamp MENA: Startupbootcamp runs MENA-focused accelerator programs comparable to UJIEC's role in the regional startup pipeline, although operating at more advanced stages and outside the university context.
• King Hussein bin Talal Development Foundation (KHBTDF) - Mikhtaryoon: KHBTDF runs the Mikhtaryoon youth leadership and entrepreneurship program in Jordan, broadly comparable to UJIEC's mission of cultivating student entrepreneurs across Jordanian universities.

Regional players

• Badir Program (King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology): Badir is Saudi Arabia's flagship startup incubator program with comparable mission and service scope to UJIEC. Regionally adjacent peer in the MENA university/government-backed incubation model, though Saudi-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UJIECenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/JUIEC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ujiec-university-of-jordan-innovation-and-entrepreneurship-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UJIEC - University of Jordan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center