Algerian Radio
A national initiative targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startups, and university students with innovative industrial projects was launched Thursday in Algiers. The program aims to strengthen industrial subcontracting and contribute to the development of local value chains.
The official launch of this initiative, led by the Algerian Foundation for Youth Support and Entrepreneurship Development (AFYE), took place during an event organized under the patronage of the Minister of Industry. The ceremony was attended by ministry representatives, officials from various concerned sectors, and heads of national, public, and private organizations and companies.
Named "Idmadj" (Integration), the initiative will run until September 24. Its program includes four regional seminars to be held in Algiers, Annaba, Oran, and Ouargla, along with 16 training workshops and a specialized round table led by experts. These activities aim to develop operational capacities, propose financing solutions, ensure knowledge transfer across the country, and introduce industrial companies, subcontractors, and economic actors to the latest trends in smart industry and industrial integration.
Within this framework, a competition titled "Industry Hackathon" will be organized to encourage innovation among engineers and young developers. Challenges will focus on several key areas, including predictive maintenance, smart subcontracting, green logistics, quality and compliance improvement, and the monitoring of production processes in smart factories.
The event also features a series of educational podcasts covering the current state of subcontracting in Algeria, recent developments in industrial innovation, sector legislation, product quality and compliance, and the industrial brand in Algeria.
In addition to B2B business meetings, an interactive electronic portal (www.idmadj.dz) has been launched to facilitate networking and direct connections between different economic operators. This platform will serve as a digital directory, centralizing participant databases and available subcontracting opportunities.
Furthermore, the initiative offers SMEs a presentation space called "One Minute Pitch Box," where they can create video tutorials to showcase their potential and create subcontracting and partnership opportunities with major economic enterprises.
The initiative will conclude on September 24 with a ceremony to honor participating companies and present success stories and pioneering experiences in subcontracting. The closing will also see the signing of partnership agreements between companies, project holders, and providers of services, technology, and innovation.
In his speech on the occasion, the Executive President of AFYE, Mohamed Oussama Babou, affirmed that this initiative confirms that "civil society is not standing idly by during the development process, but is emerging as an effective partner responsible for presenting initiatives and ideas, accompanying youth, and building bridges of cooperation between various actors."
The initiative targets more than 1,000 SMEs and 50 large national public and private companies acting as contractors to sign subcontracting agreements. Mr. Babou emphasized that the initiative also aspires to support the State's strategic orientation toward strengthening industrial sovereignty and import substitution by directly linking major industrialists with local subcontractors and assisting them in adopting the techniques of the fourth industrial revolution across the various wilayas of the country.
