National Center for Research and Development (NCRD)

Name

National Center for Research and Development (NCRD)

Legal name

National Center for Research and Development

Website

https://ncrd.gov.jo

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amman

HQ country

Jordan

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: NCRD operates as a non-profit research center under the Higher Council for Science and Technology, receiving government funding to support its research activities and programs.
2. International Donor Funding: The center receives funding from international organizations and donor agencies including IUCN, Global EbA Fund, and participates in joint research projects with international partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCRD is a non-profit national research center that conducts applied research and development across biotechnology, water, energy, food, and ecosystems. It operates four research programs (Badia, WEFE Nexus, Biotechnology, International Cooperation & Technology Transfer), runs training facilities including the Al-Safawi Soilless Agriculture Training Center, supports startups in food and health security, and builds research partnerships with local and international institutions.

Product overview

NCRD operates as a non-profit national research center established in 2010, affiliated with the Higher Council for Science and Technology chaired by Prince Hassan bin Talal. The organization offers a portfolio of four interconnected research programs: the Badia Research Program (focused on arid land development since 1992), WEFE Nexus Program (water-energy-food-ecosystems integration), Biotechnology Program (applied biotechnology across sectors), and International Cooperation & Technology Transfer Program (strategic partnerships and commercialization). Supporting infrastructure includes the Al-Safawi Training Center for Soilless Agriculture featuring IoT-enabled hydroponic systems, and the Virtual Herbarium digital platform for plant specimen documentation. The center supports startups through dedicated programs and conducts training initiatives for rural communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Badia Research Program: A pioneering initiative dedicated to sustainable development of Jordan's northeastern Badia, focusing on arid land management, biodiversity, water, and community development.
• WEFE Nexus Program
• Biotechnology Program
• International Cooperation and Technology Transfer Program
• Al-Safawi Training Center for Soilless Agriculture and Innovation
• Virtual Herbarium

Products and services

• Badia Research Program Sustainable development initiative for Jordan's northeastern Badia region focusing on arid land management, biodiversity, water resources, and community development to integrate the Badia economy with the national economy while preserving ecosystems.
• WEFE Nexus Program Advances scientific and applied research in water, energy, food, and ecosystems while strengthening partnerships with local communities and institutions to support sustainable development and climate resilience.
• Biotechnology Program Strengthens Jordan's applied biotechnology capabilities across agricultural biotechnology, health biotechnology, animal biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, and industrial biotechnology.
• International Cooperation and Technology Transfer Program Builds strategic partnerships with local and international institutions, oversees funding agreements and technology transfer, and supports the establishment of economically productive companies based on R&D outputs.
• Al-Safawi Training Center for Soilless Agriculture and Innovation Solar-powered training facility featuring hydroponic farming systems (NFT, Deep Water Culture, Vertical Farming, Green Walls, Dutch Bucket, Trench Cultivation), IoT-based smart control unit for automated irrigation and fertilization, and rainwater harvesting systems for hands-on capacity building in sustainable smart agriculture.
• Virtual Herbarium Project Digitization initiative preserving and documenting over 270 plant specimens from the Jordanian Badia, providing visual and scientific material accessible via QR codes for plant identification including scientific name, common name in Arabic and English, collection site, and date.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 farmers trained on agroforestry principles
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Jordan Valley AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2026MoU signed January 2026 to strengthen research and development activities, safeguard water resources, and direct scientific research toward market-oriented outputs.
• Jordan Environment SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025MoU signed December 2025 for networking, joint training projects, and technical expertise exchange in environmental and agricultural fields.
• Vocational Training CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025Cooperation agreement signed November 2025 for joint vocational and technical training programs, curriculum development, and joint proposals to funding agencies.
• Royal Botanic Garden, Kew (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cooperation since 2025 for Virtual Herbarium Project. High-resolution scanning of plant specimens preserved at Safawi Herbarium and Kew Gardens to create accessible QR code database.
• Acwa PowercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Local company for water and solar energy funding CSR projects including beekeeping in Ruwaished and plant nursery in Al-Ba'ej area.
• Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024New MoU signed in 2024 to support joint research projects in areas of mutual interest.
• Moroccan National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024New MoU signed in 2024 to support joint research projects.
• Czech Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024New MoU signed in 2024 for joint scientific collaboration and research projects.
• Bulgarian Embassy in AmmancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024New MoU signed in 2024 to support joint research initiatives.
• Italian National Research Council (CNR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017MoU for cooperation in scientific research. Originally signed for 2017-2023, renewed for additional five years (2024-2029). Supports joint research projects and technology transfer.
• Royal Geographical Society (UK)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Founding partner for the Badia Research Program established in 1992. Collaborative research effort with the Royal Geographical Society and Durham University to study Jordan's northeastern Badia.
• Durham University (UK)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Partner through Overseas Development and Research Centre for the Badia Research Program since 1992. Conducted joint research on arid land development.
• Malaysian Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn process of concluding new MoU for scientific collaboration.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for Ecosystem-based Adaptation projects including agroforestry initiatives in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Also supported rainwater harvesting projects in Karak and Madaba.
• Friends of Nature - LebanonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner for agroforestry project implemented in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Provides expertise in ecosystem-based adaptation approaches.
• Italian Association HabibicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in cheese production training program for women in Al-Safawi area. Collaborative initiative combining Italian expertise with local women's associations.
• Jordanian Universities and Research CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with universities including Al-Bayt, Al-Balqa, Al-Hussein Technical, JUST, Mutah, Philadelphia, PSUT, Yarmouk, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University for joint research and capacity building.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD): League of Arab States-affiliated center headquartered in Damascus, conducting applied research on arid zones, water resources, and desertification across the Arab world. Closely comparable mandate to NCRD's Badia and WEFE programs, with regional scope.
• National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), Lebanon: Lebanon's primary national research body coordinating scientific research across universities and institutes. Comparable in mandate (national applied research coordination), regional ecosystem (Levant), and partnership-heavy model with international institutions.
• International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT): CGIAR center focused on semi-arid agriculture, dryland crops, and climate-resilient farming systems in Africa and Asia. Comparable in technology focus (soilless and climate-smart agriculture, biotech) and beneficiary profile (smallholder farmers in water-scarce regions).
• Royal Scientific Society (RSS), Jordan: Jordan's largest applied research institution, operating in water, energy, environment, and industrial sectors. Closest domestic peer to NCRD in institutional structure (non-profit applied research), sectoral focus, and Jordanian R&D ecosystem positioning.
• International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA): CGIAR-affiliated international research center focused on dry-area agriculture across MENA and beyond. Directly comparable to NCRD in mission (arid-zone applied agricultural research), beneficiary geography (Jordan Badia and surrounding countries), and output types (training, germplasm, publications).

Broad incumbents

• INRAE (France): France's national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment. Directly comparable in mission dimensions (biotechnology, water, ecosystems, food systems) but with substantially broader portfolio and global standing than NCRD.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): Globally leading agricultural and food research university with extensive work in protected cultivation, hydroponics, and arid-land agriculture. Overlaps with NCRD's soilless agriculture and biotechnology programs but operates at vastly larger scale and global footprint.

Others

• CGIAR System Organization: Global consortium coordinating 15 international agricultural research centers including ICARDA and ICRISAT. Operates as an ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor, but the funding flows and standards it sets materially shape NCRD's operating environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-center-for-research-and-development-ncrd-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Center for Research and Development (NCRD)