Capacity Building For Innovation Intermediaries

The SAIS 2 Programme’s mission is to catalyse new businesses and foster a culture of entrepreneurship by investing in regional cooperation and ecosystems. At the programme level, SAIS 2 does so by not only focusing on entrepreneurs, but critically also on enhancing the capacity of innovation support organisations (ISO) to improve ecosystems in local, national, and transnational geographical contexts.

SAIS 2 sees innovation hub managers and other local champions in ISOs as the best resource to support startups and entrepreneurs in their communities. Being relatively new instruments, ISOs can often benefit from better access to mentors, investors, and other established role players in the ecosystems, including government and academia.
These connections are essential for the continued growth of the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem, thus contributing to a region’s healthy social and economic development.