@ Tirana Marriott Hotel

Increasing Albania’s footprint in the regional digital economy

OCTOBER 2, 2024, TIRANA, ALBANIA
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Director for the CEE Region at Plug and Play Tech Center

Uranik Begu


As the Director for the CEE Region at Plug and Play Tech Center, Uranik leads the efforts to connect startups, corporations, and investors in the region and foster a vibrant ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship. (Plug and Play is the ultimate innovation platform. Its mission is to build the world’s leading innovation platform and make innovation open to anyone, anywhere, through connecting entrepreneurs, corporations, and investors worldwide. Over the past 15 years, Plug and Play has brought together 35,000+ startups, 500+ world-leading corporations, and hundreds of venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies across 20+ industries, and is active in 60+ locations globally, including the U.S., China, France, Germany, South Africa, Singapore, Indonesia, Brazil, and more.)
With over 20 years of experience in marketing, management, and nonprofit leadership, Uranik brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to this role.

Before this role, Uranik served as the Executive Director of Innovation Centre Kosovo (ICK) for over a decade, and currently is a Board Member. ICK is focused on connecting research and development with the business sector to create job opportunities, especially in technology and knowledge-based areas.
Uranik’s experience extends to roles such as Advisor for several startups such as Dua, Zvilo etc.

Additionally, Uranik has played a vital role in the regional startup ecosystem. He has been a Startup Mentor for the Star Venture Programme at EBRD, helping early-stage companies with mentorship and business know-how. He has also been a key figure in organizing and supporting various startup events, such as Global Entrepreneurship Week, Startup Europe Week, NASA International Space Apps Challenge, and FuckUp Nights Global. His involvement in these initiatives reflects his commitment to entrepreneurship and fostering a culture of innovation.