UAE gateway to other key markets, expert says

Ma’an’s Innovation Platform, The Exchange, on Wednesday led a conversation with industry experts on choosing the best route to scale up social innovations.

This year's 'The Exchange' platform theme focuses on ‘Collaborate For Good’. The theme aims to inspire, educate and empower members of the community.

The main topic of the event on March 23 was 'Scaling Social Innovation Projects’.

The workshop began with a keynote presentation from Dr. Yasar Jarrar, Global Economy Fellow, MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth, UAE, who said: “Scaling is about exponential growth, and it is very challenging to prove the potential for start-ups to scale. Now, most social innovations do not scale and fail to reach their potential due to the lack of motivation to grow exponentially."

“The UAE is a scale up nation and Ma’an is playing an important role for social innovators. Start-ups from elsewhere in the region have come to the UAE to help scale up and become unicorns. The UAE is the access to your gateway to other key markets.”

The Ideas Lab workshop, which followed the keynote speech, was facilitated by Aakanksha Tangri, Founder, Re:Set, UAE.

Audience members had to examine successful case studies and roadblocks in scaling existing routes, new routes that social ventures can adopt to scale and the challenges that could arise from new routes.

During the workshop, pre-recorded videos were presented from discussion leaders including Josh Mandell, Chief Operating Officer, Halcyon, USA, Mariam Almeraikhi, Co-Founder, AstroCloud Studios, UAE and Prof. Barbara Scheck, Visiting Professor of Business, Organization and Society, NYU Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The speakers addressed the methods that the private and public sector could use to help catalyse the growth of start-ups.

The Exchange will be running until Monday, March 29 at The Galleria, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. Tomorrow, it will welcome more speakers who will discuss how innovators can partner with social enterprises to deliver community solutions.

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