Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), hosted its second DSO Innovation Festival 2016. The event was hosted at Dubai Silicon Oasis in line with the UAE Innovation Week initiative announced in 2015 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The DSO Innovation Festival 2016 was open to the general public of all age groups and backgrounds and engaged the community with various educational and innovative fun-filled activities.
Two main events – an Innovation Fun Run and a Drone Race - ran in succession, making up the heart of the festival. In addition, the festival featured a dedicated kids’ play area, food trucks area and an innovation bazaar that were open throughout the day.
Speaking on the DSO Innovation Festival 2016, Dr Mohammed Alzarooni, Vice Chairman and CEO of DSOA, said: “The second edition of this unique festival was planned as part of the UAE Innovation Week initiative announced by our leadership in 2015.
“In line with the DSO Innovation Strategy that aims to foster creative and out-of-the-box ideas for entrepreneurship and to enable young entrepreneurs to realize their ambitions, the 2016 edition reiterated our commitment to supporting innovative concepts from young talent. Their novel start-up concepts were impressive and are certain to contribute significantly to the UAE’s technological advancement in innovation.”
Dr Alzarooni added: “We appreciate the support and assistance of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Sports Council in facilitating the necessary approvals and authorizations to conduct the Innovation Drone Race and Fun Run. DSOA is committed to staging all activities in a safe environment that complies with stringent rules and regulations.”
Kick-starting the festival, the Innovation Fun Run, approved by the Dubai Sports Council and held in collaboration with Premier Online, a leading provider of online event registration for sports activities, invited participants to throw on their running kits and join a 2.5 km or 5 km run around the landscaped technology park. The run was open to sprinters of all levels and experience - as well as mothers with baby strollers. All participants finishing the run received medals, while the top finalists were awarded trophies. As an interesting sidelight, special prizes were also awarded to runners with the most innovative costumes.
The run was followed by yet another unique race - this time involving the participation of unmanned aerial vehicles - also known as drones. The Drone Race, approved by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and held in collaboration with Sanad Academy, took place within a dedicated area of the festival. Drone enthusiasts were invited to test their piloting skills on a challenging track. Winner of the race received AED 18,500 presented by Ultimate Hobby Dubai. The section also hosted a drone experience zone where visitors tried their hand at drone flight testing. Furthermore, a mini drone expo enabled renowned companies in the field to showcase their innovative drones and peripherals. Members of the DCAA were on hand to answer basic questions specific to the new technology – including the rules and regulations of their operations, and drone pilot licensing.
In addition, DigiRobotics, a Middle East based robotics technology company, displayed an operator that could fly a virtual plane through engaging with a physical joystick and throttle. The setting mirrored the cockpit of an F16 fighter jet, and incorporated virtual reality as well as 3D sound to give the gamer a fully immersive experience.
In addition to the adrenaline-charged Innovation Fun Run and Drone Race, the kids’ play area and food trucks area, as well as an innovation bazaar open to the public throughout the day were the main crowd pullers of the DSO Innovation Festival. A raffle draw served as a fitting finale to the action-packed event.
The UAE Innovation Week 2016, celebrated the best in innovation from the spectrum of government, public and private sectors.
DSOA hosted four workshops at its innovation lab to brainstorm and develop the most innovative ideas to ensure the exemplary success of the festival.
A wholly-owned entity of the government of Dubai, DSO operates as a free zone technology park for large enterprises, medium and small companies looking to set up their offices in Dubai.
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