Innovation is no longer a choice for Albanian businesses—it is the formula for success and a national priority.
On October 2, 2025, the Agency for Innovation and Excellence (AIE), under the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, will host at Future2Tech (Palace of Congresses, Tirana) the forum “Generation Next – Innovate like AIE”, a space where vision, experience, and real-life examples of innovation will come together as a driver of growth for Albanian businesses.
The purpose of the forum is to show companies how to move from theory to practice and turn innovation into a clear path toward growth. At the same time, it reflects the Albanian government’s strategic focus on innovation as a key tool for modernizing the administration, boosting competitiveness, and preparing the country for EU membership.
What is AIE?
Established on January 1, 2024, the Agency for Innovation and Excellence (AIE), an institution under the Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI), serves as the strategic brain of government innovation. It is the place where innovation takes shape—from ideation, policy and strategy recommendations, concept and prototyping, to product development.
AIE’s model is unique in the region: a “constellation” of Innovation and Excellence Centers (Nukle), organized centrally and embedded across line ministries, including the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. This positions AIE as the innovation engine at the heart of the public administration.
Since its creation, AIE has worked tirelessly to:
- Identify and understand the innovation needs of institutions and the country.
- Build the founding team of experts in technology, policy-making, strategy, and sector-specific areas.
- Deliver concrete outputs—from drafting strategies and policies, recommending digital platforms, to developing prototypes that are being transformed into valuable products driving digital transformation across the public administration.
AIE works side by side with partners such as AKSHI, the Startup Agency, Raw Materials EIT, AKKSHI, and other national and international organizations, ensuring that innovation is not just a vision but is successfully implemented across all areas.
This close collaboration enables the entire innovation cycle—from need identification to concept, development, and execution—to thrive and create real impact within Albania’s Public Administration.
AIE’s Approach to Innovation
AIE sees innovation as a discipline that connects real needs with meaningful solutions. It begins long before technology or AI, at the stage where problems are clearly defined, ideas are explored, and solutions are designed for concrete impact.
This process is just as powerful for developing strategies and policies as it is for creating new products, ensuring that what is developed—whether a product, strategy, or policy—truly addresses existing needs.
This mindset is vital not only for startups entering the market but also for large, established companies that must remain competitive, agile, and future-ready.
Youth at the Heart of Innovation
Innovation is not just about institutions or companies—it is about people. One of AIE’s first pilot initiatives, in collaboration with former Minister Bora Muzhaqi and UNICEF, is the platform “Generation of Innovation”, which directly involves young Albanians in the innovation process within Public Administration.
The first phase yielded impressive results: 28 new ideas from youth across different ages and cities, of which 11 were turned into meaningful prototypes covering various areas of Albania’s economy, presented before top government officials and the public.
From this initiative came the first success story: a talented software engineer from the program now works at AIE as an Innovation Expert, developing impactful products for Public Administration.
This experience confirmed AIE’s vision: innovation flourishes when government, business, and youth work together in a spirit of open and meaningful collaboration. Above all, it showed that Albanian youth are eager to grow and contribute—not only through private entrepreneurship but also as active players in transforming Public Administration.
Leadership with Purpose
At the helm of AIE is Enkelejda Imeraj (Ledi), a Silicon Valley veteran invited to return to Albania with a clear mission: to build the agency from the ground up and reinforce the government’s commitment to innovation as a pathway toward growth and EU integration.
With decades of experience in leading global technology companies and some of the world’s most competitive and innovative environments, she has taken on the challenge not only to transform public institutions but also to empower young Albanians on their journey of innovation and leadership.
“Building tomorrow’s leaders is just as important as delivering today’s innovative products,” says Ledi. “Our work at AIE is also about creating an institutional culture where innovation—fueled by passion for growth, accountability, critical thinking, curiosity, and open collaboration—is not an exception but the standard.”
Innovation for Government, Inspiration for Business
While AIE’s main focus is developing innovative products for Public Administration, its role extends further—to promoting innovation throughout Albania.
To fulfill this mission, AIE is organizing this forum and participating in Future2Tech, creating a space where institutions, businesses, and the wider ecosystem can exchange ideas, share best practices, and explore concrete ways to embrace and implement innovation.
Just as ministries are empowered by Innovation and Excellence Centers, businesses can replicate this model internally, building environments where new ideas are born, tested, and developed.
By combining vision with execution and strategy with technology, AIE and Albania’s most successful companies show that innovation—when adopted boldly and at speed—becomes a driver of development.
Moreover, when this direction is embraced by institutions, businesses, and society as a whole, progress accelerates, well-being improves, and innovation serves as the platform uniting us toward EU integration and sustainable growth within the country.
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