The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) in the UAE has launched a start-up competition focused on sustainability and decarbonisation, in line with the country’s goal of achieving Net Zero 2050 and sustainable economic development. Called the Make it in the Emirates Start-up Competition, it aims to connect high-potential technology start-ups with investors, policy makers and industry partners.
The competition is open to innovative start-ups with a global impact in the fields of sustainability, manufacturing and technology. It also provides an opportunity for startups to collaborate with industry partners in the UAE to further develop and deploy their technologies. The competition seeks to promote green industries of the future while transforming and greening existing industries.
Taking place at the Make it in the Emirates Forum from 31st May to 1st June, the competition is open to just 24 start-ups from all over the world. Startups from various sectors with a focus on sustainability, decarbonization-and digitalization are welcomed to apply, according to WAM.
Tariq Al Hashimi, Director of Advanced Technology Adoption and Development at MoIAT, said, “We are living in an age in which start-ups have the power to disrupt entire industries and rewrite the playbook. These startups also have promising solutions for some of the world’s most pressing issues including climate change. However, access to funding and other enablers remains a huge challenge for startups all over the world.
That is why the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology is leveraging the Make it in the Emirates Forum as platform to provide promising tech-driven, sustainability-focused companies with a stage at one of the region’s largest and most attended industrial investment events to pitch, learn and connect.”
Al Hashimi added, “Start-ups participating in the competition will be able to access unique investment and collaboration opportunities, as well as get exposed to a suite of incentives offered by the UAE’s Advanced Technology ecosystem. The Ministry is committed to supporting companies of all sizes as part of our mission to create an industrial and technology ecosystem that generates inclusive and sustainable economic growth.”
Start-ups can apply here: https://moiat.typeform.com/to/EiBm1pnJ. Applications close on 5th May 2023.
The competition will select 24 start-ups from a pool of submissions based on various criteria, including their level of innovation, disruptive potential, scalability, sustainability, marketing potential, competitive advantage, and positive social impact. The judging panel will consist of representatives from several organizations, including Aspire, EDGE Group, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Technology Innovation Institute, Dubai Industrial City, UAE University, and Strata.
The Make it in the Emirates Start-up Competition is part of a larger initiative to attract investors, industrialists, and innovators to the UAE, known as Make it in the Emirates. In 2022, the inaugural Make it in the Emirates Forum was launched, which saw the attendance of approximately 1,800 stakeholders, including investors from around the world. The forum resulted in offtake agreements worth AED 110 billion with national enterprises committing to purchase more than 300 products from local suppliers to support their future growth plans.
