QOOT Becomes A Registered NGO
Within the multiple activities of the Agri-Food Innovation Days 2022, Nadine Khoury, President of the QOOT cluster took the stage to announce the cluster’s official registration as a non-governmental organization.
Berytech, with the support and co-funding from The Kingdom of The Netherlands, helped setup QOOT, the first agri-food innovation cluster in Lebanon under the ACT Smart Innovation Hub.
Three Years of Growth
“We are a community of entrepreneurs and pioneers, SMEs, multinational companies, knowledge providers, support institutions, and funding companies. We want to make Lebanon’s flag fly higher on the World Food Innovation & Trade map,” says Nadine to the crowd gathered to hear QOOT’s announcement during AFID2022.
“When we started QOOT three years ago, we were 20 members. Today we are 90 members and counting working in 19 different subsectors, from agri-input companies to food production, wineries, breweries, distilleries, poultry, compost and the list goes on.
We have signed 12 collaborations and partnerships with academia and the Chambers of Commerce and we just signed today a 13th partnership with the Notre Dame University NDU. In 2020, despite the crisis and pandemic, we organized 11 activities for our members and in 2021, we organized 26 activities between workshops, webinars, international trade meetings, collaborations and networking sessions.”
“We joined the QOOT cluster two years ago and it’s been a good experience because of the positive environment the cluster has created. The business opportunities that members receive are priceless whether in export, networking and opportunities in new markets,” reveals Chadi Tannous, CPO of The Three Brothers Gin.
An Independent NGO
QOOT is now an independent NGO registered under the number 1477. This ensures the cluster’s sustainability, allowing it to grow on its own led by its own members while opening doors for fundraising and new opportunities.
“Moving forward, we have big plans and goals. We just created an export excellence center, we have a business and product innovation hub where members can meet all our innovators, we also have an export booster center. Members can also benefit from a new service we are working on in innovation for readiness, innovation for competitiveness and innovation for internationalization.
Valerie Zakka, Member of the QOOT board joined Nadine on stage to share her experience: “QOOT has been an amazing community for me and for all the members, it’s not only a place to network it’s also a place where you belong. If you like this industry then QOOT is where you must be. We have created an amazing environment for people to feel comfortable sharing their challenges and innovations and a safe environment where people who are competitors can share information relevant to their industry. We have also created a unique environment in Lebanon of innovation and development.”
“If you believe in reviving the Lebanese economy, if you want to become visible on the national, regional and global scale and most importantly, if you are creative and passionate, then join us.”
MORE ARTICLES
Export or Perish: Lebanon Finds Glimpse of Hope in Agri-food
May 17, 2022
Rethinking agriculture is critical in building a sustainable economic model that reduces geographical inequalities and ensures food security. In…
Le Liban Si Bon, Si Innovant!
May 5, 2022
The Embassy of Lebanon in Paris, France organized a culinary initiative under the title of "Mouné Libanaise: Artisanat Gastronomique" to promote…
Women turning crises into opportunities: Foodsight!
January 3, 2022
Womenpreneur Initiative and SANAD Entrepreneurship Academy (Finance in Motion) launched the Womenpreneur Tour Book entitled “Women Turning Crises…
QOOT Cluster members in Washington DC
December 29, 2021
Increasing export only contributes to higher economic growth, sustainability, job creation and is incredibly important to a country facing economic…
Sea Sky Services Interview: Strategies set in times of crisis
December 20, 2021
Rima Azar is the General Manager at SEASKY SERVICES, a Lebanese freight forwarding company that has been her family’s business since 1929, and a…
Foodsight Tips: Make Food Safety a Holiday Tradition!
December 18, 2021
We gathered in this article some of the most important points to consider for handling food this holiday. For producers Foodborne illness cases…
Ultimate Gift Guide for Christmas 2021
December 15, 2021
It’s that time of the year again where we make a list and check it twice! Berytech's Christmas lists have become a yearly tradition to celebrate…
Ten Tips For Export Readiness
November 24, 2021
Following the very successful ‘Helping SMEs Build Resilience‘ training sessions delivered by Q Pulse, Berytech reached out to Dima Abou Moussa,…
QOOT Cluster received the Scale Up Voucher for Clusters
November 11, 2021
QOOT Cluster was selected to benefit from the Scale Up Voucher for Clusters, an activity under the Cluster Booster Track of the EU-funded project THE…
Compost Baladi at Expo 2020
November 9, 2021
Millions of farmers, students, teachers, and people with special needs had their lives transformed through programmes financially supported by Expo…