Keeping Lebanese’s brains Alive!

Keeping Lebanese’s brains Alive! is a title that summarizes the situation and needs of all Lebanese people who are still living in Lebanon, living abroad, or planning to travel.

“But is the Lebanese government spending money on the Research and Development to help the Lebanese people develop their skills?”

“Are the lebanese able to invest their potentials in their country?”

Unfortunately the answer is NO!

The world’s biggest economic and financial crisis has ever been witnessed and has affected Lebanon for almost three years. On May 15, Lebanon will hold parliamentary elections, which are eagerly awaited given the country’s ongoing governance problems. The economic consequences of the war in Ukraine and associated sanctions are adding to Lebanon’s plights, given its critical net imports of wheat and oil.

The problem with the Lebanese current situation is that it is an emerging but nascent technology& digital industry, with limited access to global markets and low digitization across economic sectors & government. Also, it has little spending on research and development(# SDG8), is a small and fragmented outsourcing industry, and lacks regional recognition. It has a robust tertiary education system but a low current export potential for the sector (e.g., the low attraction of international #SDG4). In addition to the lacking regulatory environment, digital & creative talent, limited access to funding, and sub-par sector governance and infrastructure.

When compared to regional competitors and worldwide innovation centers, Lebanon’s Research and Development spending is the lowest. In terms of patents, Lebanon is ranked 61st globally, 60 times behind the average of its regional and international competitors.

To solve the problem, the government should Develop and work on a transitional plan toward a knowledge economy model in Lebanon by applying the following goals:

• Ensure continuous pipeline of R &D funding (SDG8)
• Develop an R&D center in collaboration with the professional and academic sectors (SDG 4, SDG 8)
• Developing cross-cutting agenda to enable the entire creative ecosystem
• Selecting specific industries to become a regional and global hub (SDG 8, SDG9)
• Become an educational hub, attracting regional students across the board, and international students for specific niches (SDG4)
• Embracing digital disruptions through adopting technology in priority sectors

In conclusion, the government and related organizations should adopt one of these mentioned goals and work on it to facilitate the transition into a knowledge-based economy to increase the potential of citizens in Lebanon.