Held in September 16-18, this year’s edition of the hackathon saw the participation of over 150 youth, divided into 14 teams. The hackathon equipped school and university students with 21st century skill sets that helped them build solutions to real-world problems posed by the competition’s corporate partners. This year’s edition of the hackathon targeted the development of sustainable solutions in the ports and logistics services sectors.

The first place was won by the Octainer project. The second place went to Al Seef project. The third place went to PortSecure project. The winning teams received cash prizes to support the development of their projects and real-life applications. The winners also received the opportunity to join Sheraa’s specialized programs for further development of the idea and possibly turning it to viable business.

Through the hackathon, participants were introduced to the design thinking process based on six stages: Understand, Observe, Point of View, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

During the hackathon, representatives from Gulftainer, which operates the Sharjah Container Terminal, Khorfakkan Container Terminal, and Al Hamriyah Container Terminal, and Momentum Logistics, a fully integrated third-party logistics provider, delivered a presentation on the integral role of supply chains in the logistics industry, and outlined various operational aspects and administration of the Khorfakkan Port. After the presentation, participants brainstormed solutions to transform the port’s operations to become more agile and sustainable.

Competing teams of UAE youth created prototypes, building on the information shared during the presentation and tested their ideas to ensure it could be implemented to achieve the set goals.

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In line with its mission to strengthen and diversify the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sharjah and the UAE, and highlight the importance of value creation through innovation, Sheraa is presenting opportunities in key vibrant sectors such as education, audio-visual multimedia, fintech, healthcare, travel and tourism, and 3D printing, to founders and aspiring entrepreneurs in the region. Sheraa is also turning the spotlight on the role of innovation in creating paradigm shifts in the future of employment, and in fostering the development of skillsets and service sectors.

Through its participation, Sheraa is focusing on the work of Immersive and Key2Enable, two educational solutions providers; technology company Datafirst; fintech company Foloosi; Azure, a 3D printing company; The Wall5, an audio-visual multimedia company; Mughamer, a travel and tourism company; Carers, a healthcare service provider; and Outrealxr, a virtual reality platform for online events.

Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said: “Innovation is an essential driver of growth and productivity and paves the way for long-term improvements in efficiency and competitiveness. At Sheraa, we are delighted to participate in the 2022 edition of UAE Innovates in Sharjah, a national event that inspires critical and creative thinking and accelerates the pace of innovation and excellence.”

“This year, Sheraa has focused on nine vital sectors where innovation is providing entrepreneurs the opportunity to drive tangible change in the future of the labour market and service sectors. By fostering a culture of experimentation and cultivating the pipeline of future changemakers, Sheraa aims to make significant contributions in the inclusive development process in Sharjah,” added Al Midfa.

UAE Innovates in Sharjah aligns with the nation’s efforts to stimulate and nurture a culture of innovation and creativity.

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The two-week intensive online coding bootcamp debuted in the UAE on Monday, July 26. Involving 32 children and youth representing a diverse mix of nationalities including Emirati, Indian, Iranian, Sudanese, and Canadian residents in the UAE, the bootcamp has been designed to cater to a wide age group, starting with 10-year-old participants with no prior experience in coding up to 26-year-old passionate coders.

This new initiative by Sheraa to shape future changemakers stems from a collaboration with Leagues of Code, an online math and coding academy targeting ingenious innovators; and Harbour.Space University, which utilises progressive ways of learning to bridge the gap between today’s high-tech industry and traditional education.

Participants from the UAE will join coders from around the world to enhance their knowledge in coding, develop general competent problem-solving skills, and build a software project. Through highly engaging team-building activities, coders will strengthen their technical skills essential to solving real-world problems while also building on soft skills such as critical thinking, resilience and communication.

Commenting on the new partnership, Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said: “We are committed to creating an environment stimulating and exciting enough for the next generation of tech entrepreneurs to grow and prosper. By empowering the UAE’s children and youth with essential programming skills vital to almost every industry of the future, Sheraa aims to expand the opportunities for emerging technology leaders and startups.”

“With Harbour.Space, we will help skill, reskill and upskill aspiring entrepreneurs and support both the digital transformation and economic diversification policies of the UAE, thus paving the way for more coders in the UAE to receive ‘golden visas’ under the nation’s IT skills programme. This partnership further solidifies Sheraa’s core belief that anyone, regardless of age, gender, or nationality, can participate in the economic, social and cultural development of the country,” she added.

Following the bootcamp, which is organised with the support of Sheraa’s community partners: American University of Sharjah (AUS), e7 – Daughter of the Emirates, Sharjah Youth Center, Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Student Chapter, all participants can also further their learning through internships with startups under Sheraa’s portfolio or enrol in more advanced courses from Harbour.Space.

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Sheraa dedicated the inaugural edition of the program, which was launched in celebration of Sharjah World Book Capital 2019, to those working in the publishing and digital content sector. This was done to support the emirate’s vision of investing in the knowledge industry. Launched late last year, Access Sharjah is a global platform that connects digital start-ups to relevant public and private entities in Sharjah and across UAE.

Participating entrepreneurs were given access to Sheraa’s team of experts and network of global mentors, business set-up support, rent-free co-working spaces and free licensing, a pool of skilled human capital and media coverage.

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Head of the Advisory Committee of Sharjah World Book Capital (SWBC), said “Investments in entrepreneurs in the publishing sector is an investment in the future of the international book market. The aspirations of these businesses, combined with their sustainable products and services, drive the growth and success of the publishing industry. It also stimulates cultural entities to embrace projects and initiatives which advance knowledge and culture.”

After the COVID-19 crisis and due to travel bans, the program was delivered online, including remote pitch training, mentorship, and final pitch day with external judges.

Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said, “Access Sharjah was created to solve one of the most critical challenges that start-ups face, which is gaining access to markets. The program serves as a launchpad into the Sharjah and wider UAE market, supporting the growth of innovative start-ups as well as furthering the emirate’s vision to be a global destination for high impact businesses. For the first edition, we focused on start-ups in the book and digital content space, in honor of Sharjah being named UNESCO World Book Capital 2019. We received over 250 applications from around the world, and are proud to announce, ‘Little Thinking Minds’, ‘BoBu’, ‘Narrativa’, and ‘almentor.net’ as winners. We look forward to having these high-caliber start-ups call Sharjah their home and shall continue to work with them as they grow their ventures.”

Additionally, Sheraa’s partners, Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC Free Zone) and Emirates Publishers Association (EPA), lent considerable support towards helping the start-ups scale and enter new markets. Salim Omar Salim, Director of Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPCFZ), said: “Entrepreneurs and SMEs are driving the publishing sector worldwide. SPCFZ is committed to aiding their ambitions, as we give them access to world-class business and production facilities, help them build profitable businesses, and offer an optimal environment for innovative content creation. Our mission is defined by the collective vision of Sharjah’s cultural entities, which are working together to advance the UAE’s publishing landscape, especially furthering its digitization efforts to meet the aspirations of global industry stakeholders.”

Rashid Al Kous, Executive Director of Emirates Publishers Association (EPA), said “Access Sharjah stimulates competitiveness and promotes an entrepreneurial business culture in companies venturing into publishing and other creative sectors. It also aligns with the overarching vision of the EPA, Sheraa and allied entities in Sharjah. This inclusive vision is inspired by Sharjah’s cultural project and signals an important new investment in its key pillars. I hope the program will enable entrepreneurs to leverage the emirate’s thriving business environment, harnesses key opportunities presented by Sharjah at its annual international events and fairs, and benefit from the local and regional initiatives which focus on the promotion of creative content creation.”

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