Abu Dhabi University to launch 3rd annual innovation forum 23rd January

The latest trends and developments in innovation within business and government organizations will be highlighted at the “3^rd Annual Abu Dhabi Innovation Forum” held at the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa on the 23^rd of January. Organized by Abu Dhabi University, AIM Events, and sponsored by “Al Hilal Bank”, “Innovation 360” and “Starcom MediaVest Group”, the 3-day forum entitled “Developing strategies to unleash the true value of innovation in business” brings together innovation experts and professionals who will showcase examples of innovative thinking, as well as discuss how to embed innovation into company strategy and fully harness its power.

Commenting on the importance of the 3^rd Annual Abu Dhabi Innovation Forum, Dr. Ahmed Badr CEO of Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group explained that the forum reflects ADU’s mission in serving the community and directing research efforts to study and monitor the needs of the business sector. “Organizing this annual forum, allows Abu Dhabi University’s Knowledge Group to participate in the efforts to promote innovation throughout various business enterprises”, said Dr.Badr.

He pointed out that the three- day forum will host innovation experts and professional who will tackle various topics including the culture of innovation in the region, how innovation can be enabled organization-wide and imbedded into the strategy and processes, how technology and lifestyle are affecting and enabling innovation, the future of innovation and how to unleash it through effective leadership. “The Innovation Forum will also tackle the challenges and barriers that face implementing innovative strategies in business and government organizations”, added Dr.Badr.

“The Innovation forum also offers a series of panel sessions and specialized interactive workshops that address vital subjects, including: driving innovation with smart research investment and effective science and technology policy, embedding innovation and sustainable development into your business strategy, and developing smart strategies to foster innovation in large-scale organizations”, concluded Dr.Badr.

Director of AIM Events at Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group, Riad Mannan noted the forum is a great opportunity for participants to learn from the experiences of international innovation experts from various institutions, business and government organizations in the areas of technology, transportation, banking and finance, construction, industry and many other business sectors.

“The UAE is one of only two Arab countries that are included among the top 40 innovating economies in the world. The Abu Dhabi Innovation Forum is an important platform for keeping the country’s legacy of innovation and excellence alive, which is why Al Hilal Bank always lends its full support to the event. For our part, we shall continue to set new standards and introduce unique offerings to promote a national culture of innovation while taking Islamic banking services to the next level,” said Mohammed Jamil Berro , CEO Al Hilal Bank.

On his part, Kamal Hassan President and CEO of Innovation 360 stressed that in the UAE, we are very fortunate to have leadership that supports change and is committed to improving innovation capacity. But in addition to this drive, we need to better understand how to accomplish these goals and how to execute innovation strategy. This is why events like Abu Dhabi Innovation Forum are so important. It's a place where we can all come together and learn from one another what works and what could be done better when it comes to succeeding at innovation.

Tarek Daouk Chief Innovation & Integration Officer MENA said: "at Starcom Mediavest Group we believe in open-source innovation and that the world and people are changing very fast for companies to operate in silos. We're looking forward to participating in the Innovation Forum as it's a great opportunity for us to connect with other companies and creative talents sand develop platforms to collaborate and build our businesses".