UAE Launches 2015 Innovation Week to Accelerate National Creativity and Technological Advancement

Abu Dhabi is set to witness a surge of innovation-focused activities as the UAE embarks on its 2015 Innovation Week, running from November 22 through November 28. This annual festival serves as a platform to encourage and showcase innovations across various sectors, including government bodies, educational institutions, and major private companies.

The Innovation Week is part of a broader national agenda initiated in 2014 when His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, unveiled a comprehensive seven-year strategy aimed at transforming the UAE into one of the world’s leading innovative nations by 2021. The strategy prioritizes innovation in critical sectors such as renewable and clean energy, transportation, technology, education, health, water, and space exploration.

In alignment with this vision, the Mohammad Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation (MBR Centre) was established in September 2014 to drive positive change and foster innovative practices within federal government entities.

The year 2015 was officially declared the Year of Innovation, intensifying efforts across organizations to adopt forward-thinking approaches and cultivate a culture of creativity. Innovation Week represents the pinnacle of these efforts, aiming to build capacity and motivate government organizations to embrace new methodologies.

Throughout the year, a variety of events have been organized under the innovation strategy umbrella, including entrepreneurship bootcamps, science festivals, robotics competitions, hackathons, and blogging contests. These initiatives have helped embed innovation into the fabric of the UAE’s institutional and societal frameworks.

The UAE’s commitment to innovation is reflected in its regional and global recognition. The 2014 Global Innovation Index, published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, ranked the UAE as the leading innovator among Middle Eastern countries.

Shaikh Mohammad emphasized the importance of continuous innovation and leadership in maintaining competitiveness, stating, “The UAE is already the most innovative Arab nation, and our target is to be among the most innovative nations in the world. The competitiveness race demands a constant flow of new ideas, as well as leadership using different methods and tools to direct the change.”

As the country progresses toward its 2021 innovation goals, the 2015 Innovation Week stands as a critical milestone in galvanizing stakeholders across sectors to contribute to the UAE’s vision of a knowledge-based, innovative economy.