Dubai: The Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation (MBRCGI) on Thursday launched the ‘UAE Innovates 2021 Awards’ to promote and implement innovative ideas that contribute towards UAE’s efforts in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made during a virtual press conference attended by more than 100 representatives from executive councils and federal entities. The awarding will be held on February 25 at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Huda Al Hashimi, Chief of Innovation and Government Strategy, reaffirmed the UAE government’s keenness in adopting innovation across various sectors in building a better future. She said: “The pandemic has shown us how important it is to innovate and to design new solutions for any future challenges that may arise. Governments that embrace innovation and agility as main drivers are better able to respond and cope with global challenges.”
Hybrid events
UAE Innovates 2021 takes-off with a new vision, combining between physical and virtual events across the country. UAE Innovates 2021 conference will be held at Expo: Terra — The Sustainability Pavilion. The conference will cover various topics, including innovative economy, creative transformations and achieving moonshots. At the end of the conference, MBRCGI will announce honorees from federal and local government entities that were able to launch and implement projects in tackling the pandemic.
The award’s categories are: Novelty in Innovation; Replicable Innovation; Most Impactful Innovation; and Fastest Implemented Innovation
Innovation events across UAE
Abu Dhabi will organise 118 events and initiatives while Dubai will hold 60 internal and external events. More than 60 events will be organised by 17 entities in Ras Al Khaimah; Fujairah will host more than 30 events and workshops highlighting talent and innovation; Ajman to host a number of innovative events and workshops; while Umm Al Quwain will organise more than 20 activities. The government, private sector and UAE national universities will participate in the virtual events.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention will host a virtual session on the role of the youth and talented individuals in the growth and development of the future health-care systems. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) will virtually launch ‘UAE Hackathon 2021’. The Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation will launch a competition titled ‘Citizen’s Skills’ to motivate citizens to share ideas aiming to design programs that equip them with future skills.
Safety precautions
All UAE Innovates 2021 activities will implement precautionary measures set by the National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) in countering the COVID-19 pandemic.
