Egypt Expands Tech Hubs Beyond Cairo, Boosting Regional Innovation

Egypt is expanding its technology ambitions beyond Cairo, with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA)  highlighting the rise of regional innovation centres and the country’s increasing attractiveness as a hub for digital services, engineering, and offshoring. Tier-2 cities are emerging as viable alternatives for global companies seeking distributed, multilingual talent, marking a notable shift in the geography of Egypt’s tech economy.

Mansoura’s Creativa Innovation Hub stands out as one of the most active local centres supporting tech upskilling, freelance employment, and startup creation. Since its inception, the hub has trained over 11,600 young people in digital and technical skills, supported more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, helped develop 1,500 digital prototypes, and enabled 2,030 freelancers to access new income streams. It has hosted 19 hackathons and innovation challenges and fostered a growing pipeline of healthtech and AI-driven startups.

In 2025 alone, ITIDA supported more than 32 startups, trained 2,400 new participants, and provided services to over 900 freelancers, who reported an average annual income of $18,200. Creativa is part of a nationwide network of 26 centers aimed at supporting startups, freelancers, and tech talent across Egypt, reflecting the country’s effort to decentralize tech growth and expand economic inclusion beyond the capital.

The growth of tier-2 cities is reinforced by private-sector players such as qTech, an established engineering and digital transformation company in Mansoura. With a team of 200 Egyptian engineers and IT specialists, qTech operates across software development, AI, data engineering, quality assurance, business analysis, and digital product management. The presence of more than 90 local and multinational IT firms in Mansoura, alongside Egypt’s 270 global delivery centres, underscores the city’s growing role as a regional technology hub.

Global demand is increasingly driving Egypt’s offshoring ecosystem, as companies from Europe, the Gulf, and the United States seek access to high-quality, multilingual talent and a mature services infrastructure. The country offers competitive cost structures, a strong engineering and innovation ecosystem, government support, scalable infrastructure, and policy stability. Recent initiatives such as ITIDA Gigs further support freelancers through training, mentorship, and access to global job platforms, enhancing Egypt’s capacity as a strategic partner in digital services.

Egypt’s regional technology expansion reflects a national strategy focused on inclusion, aiming to enable talent in any governorate to participate in the digital economy. With the growth of innovation hubs and the increasing involvement of private-sector partners beyond Cairo, ITIDA’s approach is reshaping the country’s innovation map, creating new entry points for international firms, and reinforcing Egypt’s position as a key destination for offshoring and high-value digital services.