By Rafiq Vayani
DUBAI, UAE: Members of the Evaluation Committee has begun assessing applications for projects in order to select the distinguished ones to advance to the final competition of the exhibition. Dubai Maker Faire 2019 will take place on 26-28 March 2019 at Zabeel Halls 2 & 3 of the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Dr. Jamal Al Muhairi, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Secretary General of the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Excellence in Education Performance, said, “In the 2018 edition of Dubai Maker Faire, we received overwhelming project submissions. This time, even at this early stage, given the huge number and quality of projects, this year’s Dubai Maker Faire is sure to be bigger and with wider participation of innovators. This initiative is a major leap forward given the number of innovative solutions and entrepreneurial projects, pointing to the maturity of the ideas presented. This reflects the achievement of the goals that have been launched and contributes to the promotion of the culture of innovation as well as encourages the sharing of new ideas that enrich the markets with new products.”
The committee members, which include experts from various disciplines, will select top 5 projects based on set criteria to qualify for the final round. This is to ensure qualified projects will adhere to the aim of Dubai Maker Faire which is to promote innovation and to create a culture of creativity in support of innovators, artists, hobbyists, engineers, students and individuals from various walks of life.
An amount of AED 100,000 cash prize has been allotted for all winning projects. There will also be an opportunity for winning innovative solutions to turn into products and penetrate the market through communication with stakeholders for private companies to adopt the pioneering ideas.
The committee has evaluated more than 100 applications from inside and outside the country. These projects were submitted via website www.dubai.makerfaire.com which contains all relevant details related to the exhibition, schedule, activities, and method of registration. The committee will then select outstanding projects and nominate project owners for interviews.
Another major highlight in the exhibition will be the Hackathon Challenge where teams are formed to find innovative solutions to challenges within a specified period of time. The teams will be supervised by technical professionals and evaluated by experts from different disciplines. Winning innovators will receive a cash prize of AED20,000, second place will receive AED10,000, and AED5,000 for third place.
“We expect that the exhibition will witness a significant presence of visitors, along with a number of officials and stakeholders, and the owners of companies that are looking for innovative projects. This consolidates the exhibition status as a leading platform for new market offerings as the most prominent projects progress to participate and contribute to the development of new ideas and solutions that prove their worth and their competitiveness.”
Maker Faire has been launched in 2006 by Dale Dougherty, Founder and Executive Chairman of Maker Media. Maker Faire now enjoys the reputation as the leading celebration of invention, creativity, and curiosity. It is a platform where people from all ages and backgrounds gather to learn, share, play and make.
