Entrepreneurship and Startups in Iraq Post-2020 Challenges and Future Opportunities

Abstract

This study examines the reality of entrepreneurship and startup enterprises in Iraq, aiming to analyze their operating environment and diagnose the structural challenges that hinder their transformation into a strategic lever for the Iraqi economy, It also explores future opportunities in promising sectors capable of assuming a leading role in the country’s reform and economic development trajectory—particularly in the fields of technology, smart agriculture, and small-scale manufacturing, Moreover the study addresses the risks associated with the economies over reliance on a single resource and Iraq’s near-total dependence on oil revenues, underscoring the need to pursue alternative development pathways grounded in innovation and knowledge, By harnessing the capacities of youth and the available resources, these alternatives can contribute to building a more diversified and sustainable economy.