Abu Dhabi: A programme to support innovation within the UAE has submitted 152 ideas for patenting over the last five years, with 21 of these being granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A top official at the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC), that runs the Takamul initiative, hopes to increase this number significantly in the future.
“In the past, there was much less support for enterprise development, and this is where our Takamul scheme comes in. We not only help Emirati innovators and UAE-based university researchers file for patents but also help them commercialise their ideas,” Ahmad Al Calily, director general at the TDC, told Gulf News in the capital on Monday.
The submitted patents include developments in sectors such as clean technology, electronics, information and communication technology and oil and gas.
He was speaking to media outlets ahead of Innovation Week celebrations, which will run across the UAE from November 22 to 28.
The TDC itself was established six years ago to support innovation and creativity among youth in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Since then, it has organised the Abu Dhabi Science Festival, which is targeted towards children between the ages of 5 and 15 and has seen half a million visitors since 2011. In addition, the TDC conducts tours to schools across the emirate and introduces children to scientific concepts as part of an initiative known as Lema.
It is also developing the Abu Dhabi Science Centre, a 6,500 square-metre science museum-like facility that will feature exhibits and activities for children between the ages of 6 and 11.
“A lot has been done to promote innovation, but a lot more can still be done. Our key goal is to develop the emirate’s human capital, as there is still a gap between the skills that graduates possess and the jobs that are available, especially in the new industries that the UAE is developing, such as aerospace and nuclear energy,” Al Calily said.
In its bid to reach out to youth of all age groups, the TDC is also set to open the Innovator Space, in collaboration with US-based public workshop Techshop. The Space will give community members aged 13 years and above access to professional manufacturing equipment such as laser cutters and 3D printers.
“Visitors will also have access to mentorship so that they can enhance and develop their ideas,” Al Calily added.
The facility will be located in Al Zaina, and open to the public for a small fee.
