Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology HIAST-CIE
An institutional unit supporting innovation and startups

Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
HIAST-CIE

Center for Innovation and Startup Support at the Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology

The center helps HIAST students turn scientific and technical ideas into testable startup projects, connects training with the labor market, and applies Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies in education, innovation, and development.

Explore Initiatives & Programs →
ABOUT HIAST-CIE

About the Center

An official overview of the center, its role, and its connection to innovation, entrepreneurship, and the labor market.

Official Overview

The Center for Innovation and Startup Support at HIAST is a specialized institutional unit dedicated to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship and connecting scientific and applied outputs with market and development opportunities. Its role aligns with the national agenda for technology startups 2025-2030, making it an executive platform inside and outside the institute that contributes to building Syria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and enabling students, graduates, and entrepreneurs to turn ideas into scalable startup projects and companies.

The center works with HIAST students, graduates, researchers, and entrepreneurs, providing an institutional path to test ideas, develop them, and connect them with expertise, partners, and market opportunities.

Connected Operating Path

The center combines qualification, mentoring, incubation, networking, and partnership building. Work begins with evaluating the idea, then developing it, then connecting its owners with relevant expertise and opportunities. Therefore, the center operates as an executive platform with a clear function inside and outside the institute, not as a temporary seasonal activity.

SCOPE & SERVICES

Scope and Services

The center’s services help students and graduates move from theoretical knowledge to application, then to market opportunities and partnerships.

Labor MarketThe center designs training programs that help students and graduates understand labor market requirements and build practical employable skills.
IncubationThe center provides a startup incubation path that helps teams validate ideas, build prototypes, and improve their business models.
InnovationThe center turns innovation into a daily practice inside the institute through real problems, testable solutions, and clear impact assessment.
Emerging TechnologiesThe center guides the use of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, in education, research, and applied solution development.
OPERATING MODEL

Operating Model

The operating model is based on direct presence at HIAST locations, a partnership network, and remote programs that expand access to beneficiaries across Syria.

Main Branch

Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology, Damascus.

Aleppo Branch

Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology branch, Aleppo.

Partnership Network

Covers Syria through cooperation with academic, institutional, and community partners that enable program delivery and broader outreach.

Remote Programs

Online programs designed to reach the largest possible number of beneficiaries.

PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES

Programs and Initiatives

Applied programs and initiatives implemented by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to support learning, innovation, and technology entrepreneurship.

AILunchLab A project and idea incubation program that helps founders move from an idea to a testable product by using Artificial Intelligence tools. Using Artificial Intelligence in Learning and Education An applied training resource explaining how to use Artificial Intelligence tools in educational planning, content preparation, smart assessment, and digital resource development.

A Practical Path for Students, the Labor Market, and Emerging Technologies

The Center for Innovation and Startup Support at HIAST helps students turn their ideas into startup projects, connects training with the labor market, and uses Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies to highlight HIAST’s role within Syria.