Twenty-four Emirati nationals became the first graduates of the Flat6Labs Future Innovators Academy, a one-month innovation programme run by Flat6Labs Abu Dhabi and twofour54’s creative lab in partnership with the Emirates Youth Council, Lamsa and Eight Hub Technology.
The programme’s first edition aimed to select young Emiratis aged between 17 and 25 and provide them with sessions and workshops that focussed on innovation, creative thinking and entrepreneurship and aimed to develop their skills for the workplace or their own business ventures. After a competitive process with hundreds of applications, the participants were selected for their passion and commitment to creative solutions for the country.
The initiative of twofour54 has been instrumental in developing this programme and launching its first edition through Flat6Labs.
Maryam Al Mheiri, CEO of twofour54, said, "Developing young Emirati talent in the creative industries is a top priority for twofour54 as part of our remit to build a thriving media and entertainment industry in Abu Dhabi to serve the nation’s economic and cultural agenda. The Future Innovators Academy designed and delivered by Flat6Labs and our creative lab team is a great example of the investment we continue to make in ensuring our young people have the opportunity to explore their potential and the support to realise their dreams. I congratulate the programm’s graduates and all those who involved in making it happen."
Eng. Ali Al Nuaimi, Member of the Emirates Youth Council, stated, "The Future Innovators Academy is an important initiative aimed at developing the skills of the Emirati Youth, and our partnership with Flat6Labs and twofour54 on this programme marks the commitment of the Youth Council to collaborate with strategic partners for youth-centric initiatives. Developing the skills of the Emirati Youth is a priority set forth by the leadership of our country, and is being fulfilled with the numerous initiatives from Minister Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs. The programme has effectively promoted innovation and the entrepreneurial mindset among the participants."
Twenty-four Emirati Nationals with a 70 percent female majority coming from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai and Al Ain, successfully graduated from the Future Innovators Academy, selected from hundreds of applicants. The four-week experience, designed by Flat6Labs, encompassed many workshops around themes that included design thinking, business model, value proposition, pitching and public speaking, prototyping, influencer media, digital web development, with a total of 30 hours of training.
Speaking about the programme, Victor Kiriakos, Managing Director at Flat6Labs Abu Dhabi, stated, "We are very proud of the Future Innovators Academy and the impact we have seen on the 24 participants who highlighted the amazing potential of the Emirati youth. It is a strategic priority of Flat6Labs to actively engage with the local community and we hope that this initiative is replicated within other verticals and locations in the UAE and beyond."
Khalid Al Qassimi, a 19-year-old student of Maths and Physics at the American University in Sharjah said: "The people at Flat6Labs did a great job and nurturing one’s ability to really get out there and practice using their voice. It showed me there was nothing to fear, and that all ideas are worth at least sharing. I would recommend this programme to everyone I love a thousand times over."

Source: WAM