Plug and Play forges a strategic partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity to inspire a community of makers and innovators to solve real-world challenges
More than 1,100 solutions from 83 countries already submitted to solve the inaugural cycle of challenges: Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Energy, Digital Divide and Digital Literacy, Rural Transformation and Zero Hunger
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 14 March 2019: The Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity (the Global Prosperity Initiative), an initiative of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), has signed a strategic partnership with Plug and Play Tech Center (Plug and Play), the world’s leading platform for fostering innovation and arranging investment in tech start-ups.
With monetary prizes, mentorship, and access to global organisations, worth up to US$1 million, the Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity combines the Global Maker Challenge, an online open-innovation platform designed to promote and accelerate global prosperity through product innovation; and the Global Prosperity Award, a prestigious global accolade that recognizes and rewards corporate social responsibility that advances resilience, community, harmony and dignity across the world. By bringing together a community of ‘makers’ from all corners of the world, the Global Prosperity Initiative aims to solve some of the world’s toughest societal issues that affect over 1 billion people globally.
Through the Global Prosperity Initiative’s strategic tie-up with Plug and Play and the support of its growing network of partners, the Global Maker Challenge has welcomed over 1,100 solutions from 83 countries to solve its four inaugural challenges which fall under the themes of Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Energy, Digital Divide and Digital Literacy, and Rural Transformation and Zero Hunger.
Plug and Play, a combined venture fund, innovation platform, start-up accelerator, and corporate innovation consultancy that is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, has created the ultimate start-up ecosystem for many industries. Since its inception in 2006, Plug and Play’s programmes have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 30 locations globally, including the UAE, providing startups with the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. The strategic partnership with the Global Prosperity Initiative will help Plug and Play’s global innovator and international startup network guide their capabilities and talent towards making a long-term impact.
Badr Al-Olama, Head of the Organising Committee for the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), said: “The Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity emphasizes on the power of innovation to make a positive difference to the lives of people everywhere and anywhere. Our partnership with Plug and Play will strengthen our mission for global good by amplifying the societal challenges affecting communities across the world and showcasing solutions that can change lives today and for the future generations to come.”
Omeed Mehrinfar, Managing Partner, EMEA at Plug and Play, said: “Our community is made up of startups and innovators that are talented, hard-working, solution-oriented, and driven to succeed, and most importantly, they strive to make a tangible positive impact. Through our partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity, those in our network can now channel their creativity and energy into global good, and form part of an inspiring movement that seeks to make the world a better place for all, now and in the future.”
The four Global Maker Challenges were determined in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UNESCO-UNEVOC International Center, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), UN-Habitat – United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Design-thinking workshops were held in Boston, Vienna and Cairo led by MIT Solve, a social enterprise associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These workshops brought together over 300 global experts from governments, global organisations and private corporations, as well as start-ups, incubators and academic researchers.
A humanitarian champion who has positively impacted and improved the lives of over 130 million people across 116 countries, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai, has placed great importance on the role of innovation to reshape industries, and strengthen economies and societies.
