The Minister of Economy and Trade H E Mr Nicolas Nahas Sponsors the Mount Lebanon Startup Weekend at BAU

The Center for Entrepreneurship at Beirut Arab University organized the Mount Lebanon Startup Weekend in an attempt to help students present their ideas and projects to specialized committees. The best projects were to be chosen, adopted and provided with the adequate environment for implementation. The event took place at the BAU Campus in Debbieh, where 26 teams consisting of students from a number of schools and universities participated, to compete and present their ideas and projects. They benefited from the support of their colleagues who elected the best 20 ideas, and from the comments of the work-team supervising the competition, headed by the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at BAU, Dr. Laila Abboud.

The competition lasted for three days, during which students and recreational activities were held. These helped students to crystallize their ideas, to present them in the best form. The event opening ceremony was attended and sponsored by the Minister of Economy and Trade, H.E. Mr. Nicolas Nahas, in addition to the President of Beirut Arab University University, Prof. Dr. Amr Galal El Adawi, Secretary General, Mr. Issam Houry, and the Deans and Staff-members of the Faculties, the Directors at the University and a crowd of students and interested people.

After the Lebanese National Anthem and the University Anthem were played, Dr. Laila Abboud welcomed the guests, expressing gratitude to Minister Nahas for sponsoring the launching of the competition. She pointed out the role and objectives of the Center of Entrepreneurship, as well as the importance of the competition at the Lebanese economic level and of introducing student projects to the job-market.

The President of the University, Prof. Dr. Amr Galal El Adawi, then spoke, emphasizing the necessity of extending a helping hand to entrepreneur youth, providing them with advice, guidance and support for their projects until they become viable to survive in the real world. He also announced a second landmark for the Center of Entrepreneurship to be held in Tripoli under the title “North Lebanon Startup Weekend”.

In his speech, Minister Nahas stated that such competitions revive hope in the youth and in the future of the Lebanese economy, pointing out the importance of fostering the ideas and projects at the Center of Entrepreneurship to endow them with scientific and systematic aspects.

This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by the anchor Mirna Soleiman from Reuters. The panel was attended by Dr. Laila Aboud, Mr. Nabil Itani, representing IDAL, Mrs. Rana El Chemaitelly, representing The Little Engineer, Former Head of the Imports Department at the Lebanese Ministry of Finance, Mr. Walid Al Khateeb, and Vice Director and Director of the Retail Department and the Branches Network at Fransabank, Mr. Philip Al Haj.

The event concluded with a film viewing of a clip that summarized the various stages and highlights of the competition. The winning projects were chosen by a committee of experts consisting of Mrs. Joan Chehab (Malia Group), Mr. Antoine Zreifa (Fransabank), Mr. Nabil Itani (IDAL), Mr. Roger Melki (Ministry of Economy), and Mr. Kareem Kobrosly (Appliman).

The project to win first place was QRspace. It is an electronic application that enables the user to scan the barcode on merchandise and identify some of its advantages. The second place was won by the project Pickaside. It is an electronic application that compares the merits of two competing merchandise, enabling the user to select the better of the two. The third place was won by the project Portal Nurse. It is a watch worn on the user’s wrist. It automatically contacts the nearest hospital and relatives of the user, as well as an ambulance, when the user suffers any accident.

Financial rewards were presented, amounting to 5000 U.S. Dollars for the first winner, 3500 for the second, and 2000 for the third winner. The Center for Entrepreneurship announced its adoption of these projects, and that the Center would provide necessary aid towards the implementation and success of these projects.