In Thi-Qar, southern Iraq, a public Youth Center has been transformed into the Souq Al-Shoyukh Community and Climate Hub (SSCH), the country’s first government-based community innovation hub in the south. The initiative was co-designed, co-financed, and implemented by UNDP-Iraq, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Bahr Al-Uloom Foundation, creating a locally owned platform that fosters youth-driven innovation, entrepreneurship, climate action, and economic development.
The hub emerged from UNDP Iraq’s broader Deep Demonstrations portfolio, which seeks to strengthen the social contract by promoting effective government, citizen agency, human and community security, and economic opportunity. Community innovation hubs like SSCH combine co-working spaces with incubation and acceleration support, enabling local actors to turn ideas into practical solutions while leveraging local knowledge and resources.
A careful analysis identified the south as the ideal location, given its scarcity of existing hubs and pressing economic and climate challenges. Embedding the hub in a government facility addressed sustainability concerns, ensuring long-term support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and reducing dependency on external donors. The initiative also highlighted the importance of strong partnerships, bringing together UNDP, BAF, and MoYS to guide the hub’s design, governance, and operational model.
The hub was co-designed through an inclusive process involving local stakeholders, public servants, and community members. The process included systems thinking, issue mapping, and foresight tools to address local challenges such as skills gaps, limited entrepreneurship, and climate pressures. The resulting blueprint incorporated co-working and tech-enabled spaces, renewable energy solutions, and a smart farm model to support climate-smart practices and training.
Operationalization relied on intensive capacity-building for local teams, equipping more than 50 center members with skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, communications, and project management. Practical initiatives were piloted to activate the hub’s functions, ensuring that co-design translated into sustainable day-to-day operations. A clear institutional identity, branding, and digital presence reinforced community engagement and visibility.
The transformation of the Souq Al-Shoyukh Youth Center into SSCH has led to tangible changes on multiple levels. Physically, the center now houses co-working spaces, a tech lab, and facilities for innovation and climate-smart activities. In terms of people, the capacity-building programs strengthened local ownership, leadership, and operational skills. The hub has also expanded economic opportunities by supporting youth entrepreneurship, employability, skills development, and agricultural innovation.
SSCH is positioned as a key engine for innovation and employment in southern Iraq, with strong momentum for replication in other governorates. Its sustainable model links physical upgrades with local capacity, ensuring that the hub continues to operate and deliver services beyond the initial project cycle. The initiative demonstrates how government facilities, when co-designed with communities and supported by strategic partnerships, can become lasting platforms for innovation and local development.
