The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Free Zone (EIFZ)
October 5, 2021 2022-08-04 4:24The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Free Zone (EIFZ)
About EIFZ
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Free Zone (EIFZ), established under the University of Dubai’s umbrella, is a research and consultancy platform operating in tandem with San Diego State University’s Center for Information Convergence & Strategy (CICS). EIFZ offers a platform for students, alumni, and faculty to network, collaborate, & develop their ideas and support entrepreneurs through various stages of the entrepreneurial and innovation process.
I. EIFZ Vision
Our Vision is “to become the global leader in entrepreneurship and innovation while nurturing young minds though academia and practice to become domain pioneers”.
II. EIFZ Mission
The Mission is “to empower the transformation of oil producing economies into leading tomorrow’s global knowledge workforce.”
- Create a culture that fosters innovation and turns ideas into practice.
- Establish an organic ecosystem that will export innovation to the world.
- Ignite every mind with entrepreneurship and creative opportunities.
III. Research
EIFZ works in collaboration with San Diego State University’s Center for Information Convergence & Strategy (CICS). CICS aims to catalyze and nurture the advancement of San Diego State University as a global leader in knowledge-driven, trans disciplinary thinking and solutions. CICS provides original research and practical technology solutions for integrated mining and analysis of heterogeneous data for diverse partners:
- Unstructured text and other knowledge artifacts.
- Geographically referenced information.
- Longitudinal and cross-sectional multivariate data.
- Development of a novel executive graduate program in Information Convergence and Strategy.
- Seminars on topics related to information convergence and strategy for national/international audiences.
IV. Sustainable Development
UD-EIFZ will be an innovation incubator in Dubai where new solutions are created, both for consumption in the United Arab Emirates and as a globally exportable commodity. This is in alignment with the 2025 vision shared by the Ruler of Dubai and the EIFZ leadership. Government and private sectors will be integrated and benefit alike from this initiative. The long-term impact spans beyond commercial markets, towards strengthening and optimizing processes in diverse sectors as a basis for economic sustainability.
EIFZ Activities (2020-2022)
A. Establish Innovation Hub in University of Dubai.
Establish Innovation Hub in University of Dubai.
B. MOU between University of Dubai-EIFZ and Dubai Future Foundation.
MOU between University of Dubai-EIFZ and Dubai Future Foundation.
C. Projects, Workshop and competitions
- Young entrepreneur competition (2020).
- Eagle Eye – RTA Hackathon (2020).
- Smart Parking- Pitching day with TRA (2020).
- Utilization project – The Hamdan bin Mohammed Award for Innovation in Project Management-Innovative Practices in Handling the Covid-19 Pandemic Award (Aug ,2020).
- Pitching Day- University of Dubai students with Dubai Future Foundation (Feb ,2020).
- Smart home- Solar decathlon (Feb,2021).
- Spoken Hand – Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (April, 2021).
- Smart Steering – Ericsson’s Hackathon –UAE vision 2021 (May, 2021).
- The Hamdan bin Mohammed Award for Innovation in Project Management (July, 2021).
- Innovation Arabia 2022 – 3 abstracts fully accepted and published, Sep 2021
- Expo Science – 2projects (Feb,2022)
- Civil Defense event (March,2022)
D. Seminars
- Medical Image recognition systems (2020).
- AI for communication systems (October 2020).
- Industrial Revolution IV; Photovoltaic Systems & Electric Vehicles Advanced Role in Smart Grid Stabilities, Dr. Mohamad Nassereddine (Feb, 2020).
- Co Drone Training, Atlab (Feb,2020).
- What it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, Eng. Mohammed Shahin (Apr, 2020).
- From an idea to success: a guide to starting a business, Dr. Zaheer Nasser (Apr, 2020).
- How to fund your startup, Dr. Zaheer Nasser (May, 2020).
- Medical Image recognition systems, Dr. Ayman Al Baz, University of Louisville, USA. (September 2020).
- Tips on how to find your career path (Dec,2021).
Organization Structure
Dr. Eesa Al Bastaki
Founder
Prof. Wathiq Mansoor
Chair and Director
Members
Eng. Eman Abushabab
Mr. Hatim Khalil
Dr. Marina Arnaut
Dr. Nasiruddeen Muhammad
Dr. Sami Miniaoui
Innovation talks at University of Dubai, hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI).
INNOVTALK # 1: SOFT OPENING OF THE INNOVTALK SERIES
November 29,2015 – Topic “Change Management”
– Speaker: Darryl T. Anderson (USA)
Darryl is the Founder & CEO of Tr33 Inc. and the Principal of Tr33 LLC. Darryl is responsible for the strategic planning & operations, focus on client relationship management, and general manager of the firm. Prior to his current role and the establishment of Tr33 Inc., Darryl served in a variety of Sr. Leadership roles in the IT industry supporting Strategic Planning, Engineering, Operations, and Client Services in the Telecommunications, Production Manufacturing, Financial Services, and Energy & Utilities sectors .
In addition to managing Tr33 Inc. Darryl is a Board Member for Community Financial Wellness (CFW) and a Fall 2015 workshop sponsor of the San Diego State University’s Center for Information & Convergence Strategy program. Darryl received his degree in engineering from the University of Maryland and holds certifications in the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) and LEAN Six Sigma discipline with the University of California, Irvine.
December 6, 2015 – Topic “Customs & Port Security”
– Speaker: Venu Sarakki (USA)
SAI started in 1995 by providing their services in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), which deals with improving traffic mobility by applying state of the art computer and communication systems. Since its inception, SAI has expanded its reach to all levels of government and to the private sector. Venu has strategically steered his company to win highly complex and prestigious projects with the US and Mexican governments. SAI currently provides IT services related to secure border systems along US-Mexico border and to enhance cyber security. Mr. Sarakki is a registered professional engineer in the state of California and has published over a dozen technical papers both in national and international journals. He was presented the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award by the American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin. He and his company have received many awards for outstanding engineering excellence by both US and Overseas governments.