Amman, Sept 30 (Petra) – Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) and Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j) on Wednesday signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance joint cooperation under the "TechForward" initiative.
The MoU aims to connect industrial facilities with universities and students to turn real-world operational challenges into innovative digital solutions, the chamber said in a press release.
The agreement was inked during a panel discussion titled "Technology Serving Industry", a step toward implementing the initiative, which is led by int@j with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) through the I-PSD project in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply.
The initiative is a practical step toward linking the industrial sector with universities and young talent, said Ishaq Arabiyat, JCI Acting Director General.
Turning challenges faced by industrial facilities into innovative technological solutions contributes to accelerating digital transformation and enhancing the competitiveness of national industry, he pointed out, urging industrial facilities to take advantage of the initiative and present the challenges they face.
The initiative is based on a tripartite partnership involving industrial facilities, universities, and students, under which facilities present operational, technical, or administrative challenges they encounter, while teams of IT students from Jordanian universities work to develop practical solutions, often part of their graduation projects under direct academic supervision.
Nidal Bitar, CEO of "Intaj" said the second edition of the initiative, scheduled for the 2026/2027 academic year, follows the success of the first cycle, where 17 universities and 67 companies participated, with 96 real-world challenges presented, resulting in the development of 60 technical graduation projects for 35 companies.
He emphasized the importance of building upon these results and expanding the initiative's reach.
The initiative’s director Jaafar Shahabat made a presentation on its objectives, operational mechanisms, and implementation stages, highlighting key opportunities the initiative offers industrial enterprises to leverage technical and digital solutions developed by students.
The session showcased the primary benefits available to industrial enterprises, such as the development of digital solutions tailored to their actual needs, including process automation, artificial intelligence applications, the Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics, without incurring software development costs.
Additionally, the initiative offers the opportunity to recruit and evaluate young technical talent to join the labor market.
//Petra//SS
