Abu Dhabi University Nurtures Students' Entrepreneurial Skills Through Its Incubation Program

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates—02 February 2021: In line with its commitment to maintaining academic success and in celebration of the UAE Innovation Month 2021, Abu Dhabi University (ADU) has launched a new incubation program led by the University’s Innovation Center. The program aims to develop the entrepreneurial skills of its students and offer young talent the opportunity to work on and prototype innovation projects that may have a wider impact on society.     

The Incubation Program delivers substantial support for ADU sponsored start-ups, combined with a mentoring and competency development program. In the first phase, the program will incubate four ADU-based start-ups in the areas of healthcare technology, media production, fashion, parking, and task sharing. 
Four start-ups were presented during the Incubation Program’s launch event attended by Professor Thomas Hochstettler, ADU’s Provost, Dr. Philip Hamil, Associate Provost, Dr. Ian Matthews, Vice Chancellor, and Dr. Petra Turkama, Director of Innovation. The four start-ups - Sencillo, Winks, Triadic, and Overseas Media Production - will receive a cash injection into their business and will further benefit from access to all ADU facilities and the extended ADU community. 

Speaking about the program, Dr. Petra Turkama, Director of Innovation, said, “As our young people enter the workforce today, they are witnessing a global transformation across a vast number of jobs, some of which are becoming obsolete, while others are undergoing momentous change, in addition to the creation of entirely new industries. Innovation and entrepreneurship are the cornerstones of economic growth and prosperity and will prepare the younger generation for a future filled with rapid change, challenges, and opportunities. In line with the UAE national innovation agenda, and to sustain the UAE’s competitive advantage in the global economy, our young people must develop their entrepreneurial talent and business skills.” 

She added, “Through the Incubation Program, we seek to nurture the skills of our students, stimulate their creative minds, and unlock their potential. The program will contribute to the development of an environment that is conducive to their success and empowers them to play an active role in the development of the UAE. I would like to express my gratitude to the Department of Economic Development, Takamul, and all partners who contributed to providing this opportunity for our students, helping to foster a culture of innovation at ADU.” 

Start-ups will be selected based on their potential for sustainable long-term commercial business. As part of ADU’s longstanding collaboration with the Department of Economic Development Abu Dhabi’s Takamul program, a UAE innovation program to support inventors and promote innovation across the country, the selected start-ups will receive support from DED’s Takamul program and will be offered an entrepreneurial training program. 

The Incubation Program is the first step for ADU to significantly invest in upgrading its research and innovation facilities and output. In addition to the Incubation Program, ADU supports its faculty with significant research grants and provides opportunities for early career researchers through initiatives like the ADU Undergraduate Research Competition. ADU also invests in physical facilities in order to create a platform conducive to high quality research and scholarly work.