Promoting techno-entrepreneurship through incubation: An overview at BADIR program for technology incubators

Abstract

Saudi Arabia embarks the transition from conventional economy into a knowledge-based economy. This implies improving the national innovation capacity and developing an ecosystem for techno-entrepreneurs. In this regard, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology has established a national technology business incubation program; BADIR Program for Technology Incubators. BADIR aims to encourage non-oil based industry economic growth and foster knowledge growth and innovation-based startups. BADIR helps cultivate innovative ideas contributed by Saudi technoentrepreneurs as incubator members and enables them to scale their technology for industrialization and commercialization, and to benefit from the economic growth. This program to date has successfully assisted many technological incubators in a structured way.