Innovators Competition from the Hamdan Bin Rashid Foundation

The Innovators Competition is a unique opportunity for creatives and innovators to turn their ideas into real projects.

The competition aims to attract creative teams and encourage creative thinking by providing the appropriate environment to transform ideas into products through the Digital Fabrication Laboratory in the United Arab Emirates (FabLab UAE).

If you have an innovative idea and want to turn it into reality, this competition is your golden opportunity.

The goal of the innovators competition

The Innovators Competition aims to attract creative teams that have innovative ideas. The competition seeks to encourage individuals to think creatively by providing the appropriate environment where creators and innovators can transform their ideas into products through the Digital Manufacturing Lab in the United Arab Emirates.

The main advantages of the Innovators Competition include:

• An opportunity to turn creative ideas into real projects
• Providing a supportive environment for innovation and creativity
• Possibility of obtaining financial and technical support to implement projects
• An opportunity to meet experts in the field of innovation and technology

Evaluation stages in the innovators competition

The Innovators Competition consists of two main evaluation stages, where participants must pass both stages to win the competition:

1. The first stage: Submitting the innovative project implementation plan
2. The second stage: Implementing the innovative project in the digital manufacturing laboratory

Key benefits of this evaluation system:

• Ensuring the quality of submitted ideas
• A comprehensive evaluation of projects by a specialized committee
• An opportunity for participants to develop their ideas during the competition stages
• Possibility of obtaining valuable feedback from experts

Incentives and rewards in the innovators competition

The Innovators Competition offers a range of valuable incentives and rewards for participants and winners:

1. A financial award of 20,000 AED for the winning innovative projects
2. Certificate of appreciation for winning projects
3. Certificate of participation for all contestants
4. Nurturing outstanding innovative ideas and turning them into projects
5. Providing all materials necessary to implement projects by the digital manufacturing laboratory
6. An opportunity to nurture winning innovative projects and develop them into final products
7. Promoting the winning projects on various social media channels

These incentives encourage participants to give their best and ensure the continuity of innovative projects after the end of the competition.

Specific dates for the Innovators Competition

The Innovators Competition includes a set of important dates that participants must adhere to:

• September 03: Deadline for applications
• September: First evaluation phase
• September - October: Implementation phase of innovative projects
• November: Second evaluation phase
• November: Announcing the winning projects and honoring ceremony

It is important to note that these dates are subject to change depending on developments. Therefore, we advise participants to follow the official website of the competition to obtain the latest information.

How to participate in the innovators competition

To participate in the Innovators Competition, you must follow the following steps:

1. Download the participation guide from the Digital Manufacturing Laboratory website in the Emirates www.fablabuae.ae
2. Preparing the innovative project implementation plan
3. Fill out the application form and attach the required information and documents via the Digital Manufacturing Laboratory in the Emirates page

These simple steps ensure that all participants provide the necessary information in an organized and consistent manner.

Evaluation criteria for the innovators competition

The evaluation process in the Innovators Competition takes place in two stages, and each stage has its own criteria:

Criteria for the first stage (100 points):

1. Idea (30 points): Focuses on the uniqueness and applicability of the idea, and the strength of the research around the problem the project seeks to solve
2. Project Planning (30 points): Focuses on the quality of the work plan developed to implement the project
3. Design (20 points): Measures the suitability of the illustrations to the innovative project
4. Presentation of the project implementation plan (20 points): Presenting the plan before a specialized committee

Criteria for the second stage (100 points):

1. Innovative Project Implementation (40 points): Refers to the procedures followed in implementing the project in the Digital Fabrication Laboratory
2. Innovation Evaluation (30 points): Focuses on identifying the pros and cons of an innovative project
3. Final project presentation (30 points): Measures the quality and efficiency of the final product

These criteria ensure a comprehensive and fair evaluation of all projects participating in the competition.

Conditions for participation in the Innovators Competition

To participate in the Innovators Competition, applicants must adhere to the following conditions:

1. The participant must be 18 years or older
2. The innovative project must be a scientific idea that can be transformed into a proposed automated device or model to solve a specific problem
3. The idea should take into account the state’s directions
4. The participants and members of the innovative project team must have diverse technical skills that will help them implement the project in the digital manufacturing laboratory
5. The number of participants in one innovative project must be at least two and not more than 4 people

These conditions guarantee the quality of the projects submitted and enhance their chances of success in the future.

Requirements for the project idea in the innovators competition

The project idea submitted by the team must comply with the following requirements:

1. Real-world applicability and possibility of implementation through a digital manufacturing laboratory
2. The idea must be new, not imitated or copied, and not the property of others
3. The idea must not have been presented in previous versions of the competition
4. The idea should not be an academic requirement or a graduation project
5. The idea must be compatible with the laws, policies and ethics of the United Arab Emirates
6. The idea must include an opportunity to turn it into a product
7. The idea must be acceptable and adoptable by government institutions if it is presented to them

These requirements ensure that submitted projects align with the competition objectives and bring real value to society.

Documents required to participate in the Innovators Competition

To ensure that the application to participate in the Innovators Competition is complete, the following documents must be submitted:

1. Completed application form which includes:

• Participant's personal data
• Project team CV
• Pledge

1. Innovative project plan
2. A copy of the Emirates ID

All applications must be submitted through the UAE Digital Fabrication Lab website. For inquiries, you can contact via email: [email protected]

The Innovators Competition opens the door for creatives and innovators to turn their ideas into reality. By providing financial and technical support, the competition contributes to strengthening the culture of innovation in the UAE.

We encourage all those with innovative ideas to participate and seize this unique opportunity to realize their dreams and develop their projects.