Dubai Future Foundation announces seven challenges for innovation

The Dubai Future Foundation has announced seven challenges as part of its ‘Future Accelerator’ program, each one sponsored by a separate government department.

The program encourages businesses and entrepreneurs to put forward ways of applying cutting-edge technologies like robotics and 3D printing, as well as new business models and ways of working, to help address these seven key challenges:

1. Reduce water and energy consumption (in the home, in production and distribution, and/or in commercial application), led by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.
2. Prototype automated transport systems that could cut congestion in half and reduce transport-related CO2 emissions (across all modes, but in particular focusing on freight and fleet mobility systems such as taxis and public transport), led by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority.
3. Test automated, recycled, and nature-inspired building materials and solutions that use energy and CO2 (including robotics, automation, bacteriological, mycology, algae, biomimicry, regenerative systems, sand-based 3D printing materials, and others), led by the Dubai Municipality. 
4. Harness Dubai’s remarkable genetic diversity to enhance diagnostic speed and effectiveness (using genomics, analytics, telepresence and personalized medicine), led by Dubai Health Authority.
5. Test 21st century assessment systems and personalized learning solutions that work across curriculums (with an emphasis on Arabic language education, STEAM, well-being, coding, and other disciplines, led by the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
6. Deploy digital solutions across hospitality, real estate and telecommunications industries that reduce paperwork, increase transaction speeds, and increase customer satisfaction by an order of magnitude (Blockchain, digital personalization, etc.), led by Dubai Holding.
7. Test integrated behavioral, genetic and biological systems for identifying, tracking and sharing information on criminals, in particular across borders and between jurisdictions, led by the Dubai Police.

Matar Al-Tayer, Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said: “The Dubai Future Accelerator program is one of the most important platforms to develop innovative solutions.”  Hussein Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, added: “Future accelerators and incubators would effectively contribute to implement innovative ideas in reality, which serves the government’s agenda in various sectors. They create a singular opportunity for cooperation to implement the department’s ideas and projects and develop them to serve broader segments of society.”

The official website of the initiative, www.dubaifutureaccelerators.com, provides further details about the challenges facing each sector, how to play a part in solving them, as well as some important dates. In addition to that, the website explains the selection criteria and assessment process, based on which the foundation will select the companies that will participate in the first session of Dubai Future Accelerators.

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Read the July 2016 issue of Business Review Middle East magazine