Dubai, April 14, 2015

Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation (MBRCGI) announced the formation of an international Advisory Council that includes global experts in the field of innovation to help enrich the Centre with experience and innovative ideas and support its efforts in promoting the UAE position on the global map of government innovation.

The Council consists of eight members, including experts, academics and global leaders in various areas of innovation, selected on the basis of their scientific qualifications and practical experience. The Council will meet twice a year.

H.E. Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said innovation has become a daily requirement in government function, and the formation of the Advisory Council will help accelerate the pace towards the future by promoting an innovation system in government work. The Council will take advantage of global expertise to create an environment for innovation, and provide appropriate facilities for innovators and national talents to motivate them. This will help make the UAE one of the best countries in innovation globally, H.E. Gergawi said.

"We are hopeful that the Council will support the efforts of Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation in predicting the most important future trends in scientific and technological fields. It will also help develop partnerships with stakeholders around the world, including universities and scientific research centres to develop technology solutions to meet the challenges in government work," Al Gergawi added.

Huda Al Hashemi, Executive Director of MBRCGI, said the International Advisory Council in its first meeting discussed its role, tasks and the action plan for the coming period. It also explored ways to enrich the Centre's experience in developing an integrated system of modern tools to help government entities to innovate and transform ideas into initiatives. The meeting also discussed the importance of partnerships between government and research institutions to activate the role of the Centre and achieve its objectives.

She added that the Advisory Council will work to strengthen the role of the Centre by proposing new projects, initiatives, tools and topics for research and study. It will also enrich the Centre's projects with creative ideas and activities, and provide advice and assistance in meeting future needs.

Al Hashemi explained that the Council aims to strengthen the MBRCGI's position as a global model by coordinating with universities, scientific research centres and other relevant organisations to facilitate partnerships that support the Centre's efforts.

During the meeting, a presentation titled 'The UAE's National Innovation Strategy and Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation', focused on the UAE model based on three stages: Experiment, Application, Enrichment. It showcased the necessary steps to spread a culture of innovation and turn it into a daily practice in the government to make the UAE a global innovation hub.

The meeting highlighted the importance of designing and testing innovation in the public sector through innovation labs to provide solutions in key areas such as services, government policies, operations and cooperation with international partners.

The Council members discussed ways to enrich the culture of innovation in the community, and build a network for best government innovations in the world, honouring innovators, supporting knowledge transfer, and building a platform for exchanging best practices to make the UAE a key international centre for government innovation.

Board members

The Council includes experts and academics in the field of innovation who have contributed to strengthening the role of innovation in government functioning:

Huda Al Hashimi, Head of Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation, Executive Director of Strategy and Policies at the Prime Minister's Office.

Dr. Kevin Lynch, Vice Chairman, Bank of Montreal Financial Group, former president of the institution of government service in Canada

Dr. Geoff Mulgan, Chief Executive of the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA) in Britain.

Christian Pason, CEO of the Danish Design Center and former director of 'MindLab'

Dr. Sami Mahroum, Academic & Executive Director, INSEAD Innovation and Policy Initiative.

Ping Fu, Vice President and Executive Director of Entrepreneurship in 3D Systems

 Frank Zoatslot, CEO at ScienceWorks BV, The Netherlands, The Techno policy Network

Professor Vijay Kumar, Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Design, led the strategic design planning programmes and curriculum design

Professor Robert Sutton, Director of Executive Programme for Innovation at Stanford University

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For further information, please contact:
Nedal Al Asaad / Omar Badran                                                                                  
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller                                                         
Tel: (+971 4) 4507600; Fax: (+971 4) 4358040 
E-mail: nedal.alasaad@bm.com, omar.badran@bm.com

© Press Release 2015