Khaled bin Butti Al Hajeri, Director General of Sharjah Chamber, honored winners of the Sharjah Chamber Award for Innovators in its first edition, after results were announced yesterday in the Second International Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, organized by the business administration college in Sharjah University and in collaboration with the Sharjah Economic Development Department, held over a period of 3 days on Sharjah university’s campus.

The Award aims to spread a culture of innovation and creativity and entrepreneurship among Emirati youth while still in school, and support innovation incubators, building specialized national abilities and motivating students to present innovative and pioneering projects, to contribute to building a strong social and economic edifice able to compete in the international markets, by providing a supportive corporate environment that motivates creative youth to research, develop and lead in all sectors.

Al Hajeri said: “In line with the directives of HH Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, we are keen to support innovators and creative youth and encourage them to execute their innovative projects and enable them to launch their energies and creative products to effectively contribute to serving their homeland, and provide all  facilities for them to execute these projects on the ground.” Al Hajeri emphasized that “it is one of the Chamber’s priorities to take investment enterprises to advanced stages to become brands to be proud of in the local, regional and international markets”.   

Al Hajeri stressed that through this Award, Sharjah Chamber seeks to make innovation a lifestyle for Emirati youth to build an advanced and sustainable economy locally, regionally and internationally, implementing our wise leadership’s vision that makes innovation and supporting youth a top priority, as per the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifah bin Sultan Al Nahayan in 2014, to make 2015 the year of innovation. Thereafter Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the “National Strategy for Innovation” that aimed to make the Emirates among the most innovative countries around the world, and that is what we seek to translate into reality through the many projects that we’ve launched such as this Award. 

Ten innovative enterprises presented by Sharjah University’s students qualified for the Award that were chosen from dozens of projects presented by students through a sorting committee that focused on qualities of entrepreneurship and innovation.  

The first award, valued at Dh20,000, went to the “Wireless Charger” project, presented by a work team of students Annas Udwan, Hassan Hani, and Khaled Rabah, and the project was aimed at transferring electricity from one source to another without wires. It is a project of great benefit necessary for all members of society to re-charge mobile phones, tablets and others.

The second award, valued at Dh15,000, went to the “Blood Donor App” project, presented by a team of students Al Imam Abdulrahman Al Imam, Abdullah Asubel, and Abdulrazaq Mahmoud. It is a very important health app that helps patients in need for blood.

The third award, valued at Dh10,000, went to the “Sensor Glasses” project, an important project aimed at helping people with poor vision to gain some independence by using these glasses with advanced specifications.

The fourth award, valued at Dh5000, went to the “Make-up Portal” project, presented by students Sheikha Musbih, Mohammad Khater, Fatimah Al Housani and Ghaith Al Mustafa.

The winners expressed their pride and joy in winning and expressed their gratitude for Sharjah Chamber for sponsoring the Award and the Forum and for supporting youth to present their innovative projects and following their implementation.

The judging committee comprised specialists headed by HE Marwan Al Serkal, CEO of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Amer Al Amri, Head of the Youth Work Group Sector at Sharjah Chamber, Sheikha Hind bint Faisal Al Qassimi and Khaled Al Matroushi, members of the Youth Sector at Sharjah Chamber, and Rasha Abu Samra, judging committee member. The committee focused on several standards in the presented projects including suitability to the market and the possibility of implementation in real life and the different benefits presented.

The students received assistance in presenting their innovative projects by business advisors from Sharjah Chamber and the Sharjah Economic Development Department in addition to specialized professors from Sharjah University. Sharjah Chamber also took part in all of the forum’s functions and gave advice shared its expertise on how to inject innovation into small projects and its role in making these projects successful in real life.

It is remarkable that the Second International Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship is considered to be a successful model of cooperation between universities and government departments working in Sharjah to showcase innovation’s role in enterprises and providing shining examples of enterprises for small and very small establishments in Sharjah emirate.