5^th of December 2021 was a successful synergy day for U-SOLVE project in Egypt, as the day started by a cooperation event organized with INTECMED project held in Alexandria, in the premises of the newly established hub for INTECMED project. The event included several actors like the Academy of Scientific Research and technology, SEKEM Development foundation, the Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations “CEEBA”, and much more. They have exchanged ideas and opinions on the project activities and the synergy actions plan between the two projects. The event was crucial to discuss urban entrepreneurship and support innovation, as part of U-SOLVE project’s endeavour to create a roadmap for urban development based on innovative entrepreneurship with a local impact. The guests discussed the role of urban living labs in facing the challenges of ecosystems in urban areas. Also, the attendees identified the challenges for the sustainable development agenda by answering U-SOLVE survey, focusing on the development of strategies and policy recommendations in line with the methodologies for empowering urban ecosystems developed in the framework of U-SOLVE project.

In the afternoon there were another event organized by CRE@CTIVE and U-SOLVE

The meeting foresaw the introduction to the projects’ objectives and encouraged the attendees to participate in the activities. The session focused on the available services activated in the framework of the projects, with a particular attention to the promotion of creativity as a crucial feature to increase economic opportunities for MSMEs. The attendees debated on the topics and identified the creation of links between traditional sectors and creative industries as a key strategy to reach product upgrades and better positioning, making them more competitive in global markets. The meeting concluded with an analysis of the state of art of the industrial sector in the Alexandria region, which allowed the attendees (policy makers, investors and private business owners) to identify the key challenges and to brainstorm on potential ways of solving them.