Introduction

Entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation are terms increasingly associated with academic and economic developments at the local, regional and international levels in various sectors, including the higher education sector.  These concepts are considered among the preeminent means that effectively contribute to solving the most important problems of poverty and unemployment facing societies and governments, especially among young people and graduates of higher education institutions. The number of graduates from private and public Jordanian higher education institutions reaches more than 85,000 graduates annually.  The reality is that the Jordanian labor market cannot secure and create job opportunities for these large and steadily increasing numbers. The labor market is weak in creating new job opportunities, which leads to an increase in poverty and unemployment. This fact is considered one of the most important and difficult challenges facing societies and countries worldwide.

University Business Incubators can address these challenges through many methods, strategies, and tools that seek to transform university students from job seekers to job creators. Urging and guiding students to develop creative ideas and helping them to implement those ideas effectively in markets, would in turn contribute significantly and directly to solving the problems of poverty and unemployment.

Consistent with these developments, Al-Zaytoonah University, in general, and the Faculty of Business, in particular, have been promoting a culture of entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation among students. A business incubator was established at the Faculty of Business to provide facilities, services, knowledge, and other matters related to entrepreneurship and innovation, in order to support creative students in their entrepreneurial endeavors and professional independence.

The Concept of a University Business Incubator

The “university business incubator”, can be defined as a package of programs designed to support and assist the successful development, crystallization, and application of students’ creative ideas successful, especially in the most sensitive early stages of project development and implementation. This support and assistance is provided through a set of instructions, consultations, training, and services delivered by the incubator itself or through its network of partners.

One of the most important goals of university business incubators is to motivate and embrace creative and talented students within the framework of pioneering work in all service, industrial, commercial, scientific, and technical fields. These incubators seek to transform students from “job seekers” to “job creators”, through the application of creative ideas and the development of sustainable small projects, thus achieving professional independence and creating new job opportunities.

Business incubators achieve these goals by spreading the culture of entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation among students and making them aware of the importance of pioneering work. Students are introduced to the services provided by the incubator including: expertise, equipment, economic studies (Feasibility, Marketing,  Business Plan etc.), technical, administrative, accounting and legal advice, networking with financing channels and established entrepreneurs and other related services that effectively contribute to the successful implementation of creative ideas.

Business incubators are based on three main areas:

• Building, supporting, and developing capacities,
• Networking and partnerships,
• Supporting and operating of start-up companies

Establishing a Business Incubator for the Faculty of Business at Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan

In accordance with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s national priorities and the university’s desire to serve students and society, the idea of ​​a business incubator came to being as a comprehensive center specialized in entrepreneurship. The business incubator of Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan evolved from a research project, No. (22/12/2019-2020), titled “The Role of Business Incubators in Promoting Entrepreneurship in Higher Education’s Institutions” at an initial total cost of approximately 8,000 Jordanian Dinars (eight thousand), and was approved by the Deans Council decision No. (12/209-2020) on 01/24/2020.

The university allocated an office space of ​​40 square meters, divided into three areas, to suit the work and activities of a business incubator.  The incubator was fully equipped with needed computers, printers, internet, communication devices, technological, electrical office equipment and stationary in order to be fully prepared to carry out its duties. In addition, the Dean of the Faculty of Business put the Faculty’s well-equipped laboratories at the incubator’s disposal as needed.

Vision, Mission, Goals and Values

Vision:

Distinguishing Al-Zaytoonah University among higher education institutions in the region, by developing university entrepreneurial projects. Transforming Al-Zaytoonah University into an entrepreneurial university by forming a holistic “Eentrepreneurship and Innovation Centre” with an impact on Jordanian society.

Mission:

Providing incubation services for students in particular, and supporting society in general, by providing an appropriate and supportive environment for creative students in their entrepreneurial endeavors. Establishing students’ small and emerging projects, thus effectively contributing to community service in general and to solving the problems of poverty and unemployment in particular.

Objectives:

• Spreading the culture of entrepreneurship and work autonomy among Al-Zaytoonah University students and university employees in general,
• Stimulating creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the whole economy, in practical, technical, financial, managerial areas,
• Assisting and supporting students in finding and creating investment opportunities,
• Networking, contracting, and partnering with various relevant governmental and private agencies such as ministries (labor, industry, digital economy, and entrepreneurship), development institutions, business incubators, companies, factories, financial institutions, and others that can contribute and help in the incubation process,
• Adopting and embracing strong and distinctive creative ideas (particularly electronic, technological, technical, and software business) for students and university affiliates,
• Assisting and supporting students with distinctive creative ideas in establishing their small projects, work independency and effective contribution to creating new job opportunities,
• Orienting students and making them assume their social and national responsibilities towards their homeland, Jordan, and contributing to supporting the national economy,
• Updating, developing, and creating educational materials, programs, and pathways related to entrepreneurship from an academic point of view,
• Orienting the scientific research of the Faculty Master’s student theses, and graduation projects for Bachelor’s students, towards the Jordanian economy and its various sectors, in an effort search for real problems in the economy and to contribute to finding innovative solutions or improving on existing ones,
• Establishing the launch of the “Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan National Program for Entrepreneurship” relating to supporting emerging entrepreneurial projects in all governorates of the Kingdom, with focus on less fortunate regions,
• Participating in local, regional, and international conferences and forums on entrepreneurship, and taking the initiative to organize similar activities at the university.

Values:

• Integrity
• Excellence
• Inclusion and diversity
• Leadership and teamwork
• Continuous learning
• Social responsibility
• Global mindset

Organizational Structure

The following chart reflects the position of the business incubator within the organizational structure of the Faculty of Business. The incubator is an independent organizational unit directly linked to the Dean. The incubator affairs are managed by the Business Incubator Supervisor.

Services provided

The incubator provides a variety of services related to qualifying the owner of a distinctive creative idea and the development and crystallization of those selected creative ideas, eventually putting them on the path to implementation:

• Providing lectures, conducting meetings, and conducting workshops to spread cultural awareness in the areas of entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation inside the university campus.
• Organizing competitions that motivate students to present innovative ideas and nominate outstanding pioneering ideas to participate in local, regional, or international competitions.
• Providing training courses and workshops for the owners of distinctive creative ideas aimed at ensuring that the owners of the ideas intended to be incubated are able to develop their ideas and manage their emerging project,
• Providing guidance and consulting services to the owners of ideas regarding:
  • The legal and commercial environment of the spin-off projects,
  • Required human resources,
  • Labour and workers law,
  • The use of technology in project marketing,
  • Communication skills with clients and stakeholders,
  • Negotiation and persuasion skills with clients and stakeholders,
  • Customer relationship management (customer services, customer care),
  • Financing agencies and ways and means of applying to obtain the necessary funding for the project,
  • The possibility of converting the project into a trademark registered and approved by the government,
  • The possibility of registering intellectual property rights.
• Assisting in making feasibility studies, business plans, marketing plans, and other related plans,
• Linking idea owners with financing channels, investors, private companies, and government institutions that help and contribute to the process of establishing new emerging projects,
• Establishing participatory relationships with charities to support and develop creative ideas.

Conditions for Applying for Incubation

An applicant for incubation must fulfill the following application requirements:

• To be a student or graduate of Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan
• The idea should be in its early stages, where priority is given to the following types of ideas:
  • Creative,
  • Technological and digital,
  • Job creating.

Criteria for Selecting Creative Ideas

In the field of evaluating submitted creative ideas, four areas are focused on:

• Creativity,
• Feasibility,
• Clear Business plan,
• Qualified Management Team

In addition, the following selection and comparison criteria can be used:

Idea Track

• Defining the problem
  • Does the team have a clear and deep understanding of the problem?
  • Is there a clear critical (problem) point that the idea addresses?
  • Does the team understand the ecosystem surrounding the problem?

• Team members and their backgrounds

A multidisciplinary and integrated team that has the ability to implement and achieve the ambitious plans that it seeks to achieve.

In addition, all of the members of the team should work in personal harmony and understanding (values, principles, passion, risk) as they achieve their goals.

• Jobs and business/ ability for growing and expanding
  • How is revenue generated?
  • Dealing with customers – the benefit from the customer in relation to the costs of attracting and retaining the customer
  • Is your business scalable?

• The percentage of seriousness and modernity
  • Is the solution to the problem distinct and fundamentally different from what is available in the market?
  • Is this solution viable and permanent?
  • Will this solution inspire people to support it?

• Presentation and other strengths
  • Was the presentation professional and well-practiced?
  • Was there anything else the team did exceptionally well?

• Feasibility
  • Is the proposed idea technically and economically feasible?
  • Is the proposed solution realistic?

•  Market potential

Identifying potential target customers and their characteristics.