The fourth edition of the regions biggest youth innovation and entrepreneurship exhibition took place in Dubai on 8 February and in Abu Dhabi on 15 February 2020. The GEMS Global Innovation Showcase saw over 1,500 youth innovators throughout 400 groups present their technology-rich solutions to global and corporate challenges.

Participating teams used exponential technologies such as machine learning and records science to address the worlds most pressing problems throughout a range of topics which includes healthcare, education, disaster resilience and prosperity. The students exhibiting at the events, which are part of the annual Global Innovation Challenge, were shortlisted from a pool of 50,000 students throughout the GEMS Education network.

Michael Gernon, Chief Education Innovation Officer at GEMS Education, who leads GEMS X, the innovation-focused research and development arm of the organisation, said: The Global Innovation Challenge is one of the most astounding highlights in the GEMS X calendar. To see what students are creating in solving some the worlds best challenges is genuinely extraordinary. Their perception of the world of the future is exemplified via both the Challenge and also the special curriculum that every GEMS Education student is exposed to an understanding of the impact of exponential technologies on future society.

No other student or school has access to the Global Futures Curriculum and the Global Innovation Challenge. Through this exposure, we know that our students will be the next era of serial entrepreneurs and innovators, capable of influencing the world at scale.

This years Global Innovation Challenge projects range from natural calamity warning drones (Team Natural Disaster Detective from GEMS Wellington International School) and sensor-loaded modular hydroponics-based micro-cultivation platforms for refugees (Team FoodOre from GEMS Modern Academy), to a smart watch catering to the needs of sufferers struggling from cognitive impairment such as Dementia and Alzheimers (Team Neureno from GEMS New Millennium School Al Khail).

The Dubai edition of the event was held at GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail, while the Abu Dhabi edition was hosted by The Cambridge High School, which also welcomed the Canadian Ambassador to the UAE, Her Excellency Marcy Grossman. Some 3,500 visitors have been in attendance throughout both events, as well as 100 industry judges, who assessed the teams on innovation, feasibility, passion and impact.

The teams selected as finalists will be inducted into a two-month acceleration programme that consists of personalized industry mentorship and entrepreneurship workshops covering design thinking, prototyping, business planning, marketing and pitching. The winners will also have the chance to attend a unique two-week entrepreneurship bootcamp in July 2020 at the Ryerson Creative Academy, GEMS Programme in Canada. Students will be flown to Ryersons main campus in Toronto, where they will take part in unique workshops, further improve their prototypes, join a community of entrepreneurs and be exposed to North Americas entrepreneurial ecosystem. The workshops will cover topics which includes design thinking, lean start-up, value proposition, market research, prototyping, brand identity, funding, marketing and IP. Teams will also receive immigration consulting and utility review support.

Charles Falzon, Dean of FCAD, Ryerson Universitys Faculty of Communication and Design, said: There is nothing like the Ryerson Creative Academy elsewhere in the world, where young people are given the possibility to immerse themselves in a two-week journey that is focused on applied innovative entrepreneurship in a vibrant city setting like Toronto.

Canadian Ambassador to the UAE, Her Excellency Marcy Grossman, said: The partnership between Ryerson Creative Academy and GEMS Education is a magnificent example of how Canadian education institutions can aid talented students from the UAE to become tomorrows entrepreneurs. GEMS Education students who take part in this programme in Toronto will have the unique opportunity to experience one of the most vibrant innovation ecosystems in North America.

GEMS Education has also partnered with ecommerce giant noon to set up the GEMS noon next challenge, geared towards redefining the online shopping experience and increasing sustainability in logistics. To help them with their entries, GEMS Education students were given the chance to visit noons headquarters and warehouse to better understand the industry and suggest informed solutions.

Halyna Kitor, Head of [Awesome] People at noon, said: We have been extraordinarily excited and privileged to host the students at noon. In fact, we received a lot of suggestion ourselves while dealing with such a vibrant and passionate generation of youth, who have a absolutely new point of view on things and lots of innovative thoughts that will help us address the customer needs of the future and turn out to be a more sustainable and conscious organisation.