The Competitiveness Office of Abu Dhabi (COAD), part of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), has officially launched the “Abu Dhabi innovation incubators program” to support entrepreneurs.
This move comes as part of ADDED’s efforts to enhance the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Emirate by turning ideas of individuals into innovative commercial opportunities that, in turn, will support a diversified, robust, smart, and sustainable economy.
This incubator program is part of the 14 initiatives under “Abu Dhabi Innovates”. Launched in May 2022, the framework was designed to enhance the innovation ecosystem in the Emirate. It provides visionaries and entrepreneurs access to the space and equipment they require to develop their innovations and convert them to commercialize services and products.
Sameh Abdulla Al Qubaisi Director General Economic Affairs ADDED
“This program is in line with ADDED’s commitment to support and develop prosperous projects and provide regulatory and institutional frameworks that support innovation and research and development (R&D) in vital economic sectors. This will be achieved by following a set of policies and regulations, developed by ADDED and partners, to ensure that innovation incubators are well-equipped and have the right operating model to support innovators at different stages.”
Innovation incubators are among the top identified drivers that encourage and incentivize individuals. They play a significant role in providing a stimulating environment to support and convert ideas or scientific inventions into commercial opportunities.
In line with Abu Dhabi’s focus on knowledge-based, innovation-driven economic sectors, the innovation incubator program will focus on developing innovations that support clusters with high growth potential including Internet of Things (IoT), data centers and cloud services, eCommerce, smart manufacturing, clinical research, asset management, commodity trading, tourism, FinTech, and AgriTech.
