Under the Patronage and attendance of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak

Khalifa Fund prepares to host the 10th INSME Annual Meeting and Forum

Date, 8 March, 2014
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development will attend the opening of the 10th Annual Meeting and Forum organized by the International Network for Small and Medium Enterprises in partnership with Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development. The event will be from 18th – 20th March, 2014, at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi under the theme “Investing In Innovation: Building a Sustainable Knowledge-based Economy”.

The event's invitees include top representatives from organizations such as Virgin Unite Mentors, Google, OECD, MSME News Network Malaysia, etc. They will initiate discussions and knowledge sharing under the theme Over 500 participants ranging from SMEs, Start-up supports, investors to innovation stakeholders will be seen in attendance. Running parallel to the main event will be a one-day exhibition of some of the most promising innovative players of the UAE. For relevant economic players, this event provides an invaluable opportunity to network and forge alliances.

Kick starting the Meeting will be several roundtables, each of which will explore the most pressing topics related to Innovation in Entrepreneurship. On the second day, an international conference comprising six sets of panel discussion will take place. UAE residents across industries are welcome to participate at the conference. The last day will be a Training Day for registered participants on topics such as “Sustainability, Innovation and Design”, “Commercialization of Research” and “Tricks and Tips on creative communication”. All of the above will be powered by field experts who are some of the top global business honchos as well as INSME members.

Mr. Ibrahim Al Mansoori, COO, Khalifa Fund and Vice President of INSME says: “The 10th INSME Annual Meeting and Forum is a brainchild of INSME. The latter stimulates transnational cooperation and public and private partnership in the field of Innovation and Technology Transfer to SMEs. Therefore, it's a matter of great pride for Khalifa Fund to partner as a co-organizer for its 10th edition. I am sure that this much anticipated event will nurture the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the UAE as well as around the globe, thereby helping Khalifa Fund to move closer towards its goal.”

CEO and co-founder of Virgin Unite Mentors, Mark Thompson, who will be one of the speakers at the event says:  “This prestigious event is leading the way towards a greater vision for Sustainability, Innovation & Design. I am excited to initiate an exciting dialogue on how to create Success Built to Last. I will share what I've learned from my journey with remarkable innovators like Steve Jobs (Apple) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon). We will talk about how Bill Gates created a sustainable global Microsoft platform and how did my dear friend Richard Branson (Virgin) struggled, bounced back, and ultimately built a portfolio of 350 growing Virgin businesses that continue to innovate and reinvent their industries.  I'll tell you how the hottest growth companies - from Silicon Valley, Stanford University, New York, London, Beijing, Bangalore and around the world accelerate the momentum and how they avoid the mistakes that derail the biggest competitors”

The event will also include local Emirati entertainment and a gala dinner at the prestigious Luna Lounge at Yas Marina Circuit.