XXIV / 3
24
Innovationand the domestic income
The Ministry of Economy revealed in a
workshop on innovation in Abu Dhabi, that
the contributionof innovationandknowledge
in the GDP of the UAE amounted to 3%, and
this percentage is similar to the proportions in
many developed countries.
The Assistant Undersecretary for the
intellectual property rights in the Ministry
Dr. Ali Al Hosani confirmed that the country
aims to raise the proportion of innovation
and knowledge contribution in the GDP to
5% by 2021, noting that the ministry launched
in the same context, 12 initiatives and 39
designed projects to enable the trend towards
a knowledge based economy and support
manufacturing and innovation in the country.
Al Hosani pointed out to UAE determination
to be within the first ten countries in the
competitiveness
indicators,
businesses
and global innovation indicator by 2021 by
consolidating the foundations of the prefect
environment toqualifynewgenerationsof the
necessary talents to supply the work market
with its increasing needs of theminds that are
capable to innovate tocopewith theambitions
aspirations of the development future in the
country.
The director of planning and decision support
department in the Ministry of Economy
Nada Al Hashemi said that the proportion of
innovation intheprivatecommercial products
in the sector of small andmediumenterprises
was around 82% according to the latest
statistics and studies.
Al Hashemi stressed that the application and
enhancementof theknowledgeeconomyand
motivating innovationwill not be done unless
by using the latest technology, developing
the human capital, supporting the national
competencies and deepening research and
development. She confirmed that UAE has
become the host of innovation and pioneer
on the Arab level in this domain as a result
of its leadership vision which motivates and
supports innovation.
Polishing creators
The educational consultant and the expert
in the occupational development, Dr Iman
Mohammad Sadeq defined a set of attributes
to characterize children’s creators and
innovators, including different thinking,
Innovation
Experts identify five factors that motivates innovation
Students call to adopt and
apply their creative works
Researchers and university professors have identified main
factors that help in motivating innovation which include
the consolidation of the model atmosphere to graduate
new generations of the necessary talents to supply the work
market with its increasing demands, using the modern
technology, developing the human capital, supporting
the national competencies and deepening research and
development.
They have confirmed that the availability of training
opportunities in the local institutions, in addition to
providing the opportunity for the researchers to review the
related reports and the documents in different sectors, which
shall help the researchers to set creative ideas referring to the
role of the brainstorming sessions to come out with effective
creative ideas.
University students urged on the necessity to adopt creative
projects and execute themon reality, supporting the projects
of the university and school students from all educational
levels providing that it is not limited on a certain category
at the expense of others and providing that the support is
financial or spiritual or by providing a hosting environment
and organizing conferences, exhibitions and scientific
competitionsthatencouragestudentstosearchandinnovate.
About the challenges that face the innovators, the students
and graduates pointed that the unavailability of researches
and field studies in some sectors, delays the creating of
innovative ideas. Furthermore, the lack of support to the
students projects in the last years in schools and universities
causes the devastation of the other students ambitions and
goals who wants to search, develop and innovate.
Yousef Al Hammadi