Sharjah is #1 in “High Growth Ecosystems”; Global Startup Ecosystem Report

By Rahul Vaimal, Associate Editor
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In the newly launched Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), Sharjah has been ranked the top in high growth activation phase ecosystems signifying a major milestone in the emirate’s journey towards becoming a thriving global startup hub.

Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) partnered with the world’s leading policy advisory and research organization for governments and public-private partnerships, Startup Genome to benchmark Sharjah’s entrepreneurial performance and add towards the 2020 GSER, powered by Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network. The move was in line with Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center’s mandate to put the emirate on the map as an entrepreneurial hub locally and internationally

The GSER, launched at the Ecosystems Couch Conference on June 25, is the world’s most comprehensive and widely read research on startups with 250 ecosystems studied. Based on the Ecosystem Lifecycle Model. a ranking of the top 30 and 10 runners up global ecosystems, and a top 100 ranking of emerging ecosystems, as well as a ranking of high-growth ecosystems, is created.

Najla Al Midfa Sheraa Sharjah
Najla Al Midfa, CEO
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa)

“It is a proud moment for Sheraa, and Sharjah, to be recognized as a top high-growth ecosystem by Startup Genome. This achievement is a testament to our dedicated efforts over the past five years to cultivate a world-class entrepreneurship ecosystem. We look forward to further advancing Sharjah’s reputation as a vibrant startup hub – one that is home to high-impact ventures that contribute to our communities and the growth of our economy.”

Sharjah’s commitment to research & innovation, the access to high-caliber talent through the University City, and the presence of regional sub-sector strengths such as education technology and the creative economy are considered as the key assets in the Sharjah ecosystem by the 2020 GSER.

Sharjah also earned a position on the Top 20 in Africa and the Middle East for “Bang for Buck” and the Top 30 Africa & Middle East Ecosystems for Affordable Talent.

JF Gauthier, Founder & CEO of Startup Genome said, “This is the time for policymakers, community leaders, and foundations to double down on their support of local startups — the #1 engine of job creation and economic growth. The GSER is the foundation of global knowledge where we, as a network, come together to identify what policies actually produce economic impact and in what context.”

The 2020 GSER with its expanding footprint, provides insights and guidance to public and private leaders about how to foster thriving startup ecosystems, particularly forwarding the conversation on how governments can support and leverage tech ecosystems to restart stalling economies recovering from the COVID-19 lockdowns.

You can view the full report here: startupgenome(dot)com/report/GSER2020 to find out how more than 100 entrepreneurial ecosystems across the world stack up.

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