Innovation for the Leather Industry in Jordan and Egypt

The leather sector in Egypt and Jordan consists of companies that have no access to services like testing, training, research, studies, fashion, and financial funding instruments. On the other hand there are not any focal points in the 2 countries that bring together companies of the sector and universities. Innovation for the Leather Industry in Jordan and Egypt (INNOLEA) project aims at the support of the leather sectors in Jordan and Egypt with the transfer of knowledge from the EU. This will be achieved through the setting up of 4 leather centers in two Universities in Jordan and two in Egypt. The centers will be equipped with basic testing equipment, and with standards and books and its staff will be trained in EU leather centers’ premises. EU partners as well as Chambers of Commerce of the two countries will help in the setting up of the centers and in testing their operation.The sustainable business model that will be developed through the project will set the basis for the sustainability of the four centers and for the establishment of new ones.The collaboration platform that will be created will be a collaborative workspace, ground of new projects and joint activities that will guarantee the sustainability of the project .The dissemination of the project will be achieved through development of a dissemination and exploitation plan. Dissemination tools include development of a database of contacts, printing of brochures, website of the project, twitter and facebook pages, the organization of two roundtables, a conference and the development of recommendations regarding “How leather centres are useful for the economic development of the region”.Through this project: • the leather sectors in Jordan and Egypt will be offered access to business development services • cooperation between HEIs and businesses will be promoted • further cooperation between EU and Jordan and Egypt Universities and leather businesses will be established.