On behalf of His Excellency the Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply and the Minister of Labor, the Chief Executive Officer of Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), Abdel Fattah Al-Kayed, attended the closure ceremony of the project IPMED “Intellectual Property Capacities  for Smart Inclusive Growth in the Mediterranean Region,” on Thursday 31/8/2023 in Amman. IPMED was implemented an led by JEDCO with the participation of institutions from Italy, Greece, and Tunisia and funded by the ENI CBC MED Programme over the past three years, with the participation of a number of representatives of relevant stakeholders and decision makers in the Intellectual Property ecosystem.

In his speech Al-Kayed, confirmed that JEDCO has completed the management of this project with European support and a regional partnership to confirm its ability to manage international technical and financial support programs to contribute to the development of the innovative business environment in some Mediterranean countries.

He also stressed that the partnership with the European Union and its various institutions is focused on meeting Jordan's needs to achieve the economic modernization vision, developing the Jordanian product, and pushing towards increasing the volume of Jordanian exports to European Union members.

Dr. Esmat Karadsheh, coordinator of Aqaba Branch office for ENI CBC MED programme, said that the cross-border cooperation program is one of the financing tools of the European Union that funds joint projects with 13 countries participating in the program, noting that the program currently funds 80 projects, including 56 projects in whicih Jordanian entities participate, with 23.5 million euros, covering several areas such as the environment, combating climate change, and others. He also noted the presence of an branh office of the Programme located in Aqaba, Jordan.

Karadsheh added that the European Union will launch next month the new programme that will replace ENI CBC MED, called Interreg NEXT MED with a value of 234 million euros, to finance new projects in various sectors.

He said that the program will provide suitable opportunities and sufficient funding for suitable projects, highlighting on the importance of submitting projects in this program and benefiting from the funding provided after its launch next month.

Mr. Patrick Lambrechts, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Jordan, praised “the IPMED project as one innovative and ambitious project put forward by the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation” and added that the “EU will continue to fund programs which support cooperation across borders in the Mediterranean area with a clear focus on the green and digital transition”.

 The IPMED project through its partners in Jordan, Greece, Italy and Tunisia and concerned stakeholders in the Intellectual property and Innovation ecosystem implemented different activities such as conducting a specialized and tailored Training program in IP for more than 250 trainees. They held group of panel discussions with the involving partners in each country to discuss intellectual property policies and laws. They also provided special diagnostic services for intellectual property for startups, small and medium companies, and entrepreneurs from the youth sector, and provided financial grants for a number of pioneering projects in this field.