UAE launches global competition for sustainability tech start-ups in the run up to Cop28

Companies will be offered a platform where they can meet investors and network with policymakers and industry partners

The UAE will host the UN Cop28 summit from November 30 to December 12. EPA

Twenty-four global technology start-ups focused on sustainability will compete in the UAE next month as part of the Ministry of the Industry and Advanced Technology’s new Make it in the Emirates competition.

Participating companies will be able to pitch their technologies and connect with investors and experts during the competition, which has been launched in the run-up to the Cop28 climate conference set to take place in the UAE later this year, the ministry said on Tuesday.

The competition, which will be held from May 31 to June 1, seeks to support technology start-ups with sustainability-related innovations that can transform existing and future industries.

As part of the initiative, the start-ups will be offered a platform where they can meet investors and network with policymakers and industry partners, MoIAT said.

Start-ups today have “the power to disrupt entire industries and rewrite the playbook”, said Tariq Al Hashimi, director of advanced technology adoption and development at the MoIAT.

“These start-ups also have promising solutions for some of the world’s most pressing issues including climate change. However, access to funding and other enablers remains a huge challenge for start-ups all over the world.

“That is why the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology is leveraging the Make it in the Emirates Forum as platform to provide promising tech-driven, sustainability-focused companies with a stage … to pitch, learn and connect.”

The UAE will host the UN Cop28 summit from November 30 to December 12. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, President-designate of Cop28, the UAE special envoy for climate change and the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, has urged for an inclusive participation at the crucial 13-day talks in November.

The meeting of heads of state, finance and business leaders, and members of civil society, will take stock of what has been achieved since the Paris Agreement signed in 2015.

The Emirates, which seeks to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, has announced several initiatives in the build up to the climate conference.

Earlier this month, the MoIAT revealed plans for a UAE Climate Tech forum, also to be held next month, in Abu Dhabi, to address the urgent need to decarbonise at-scale and deliver climate action while enabling socio-economic growth.

An app by AgUnity gives farmers the chance to use technology to improve their livelihoods. Expo launched a search for similar projects to combat climate change. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

AgUnity lets farmers buy and sell produce on affordable smartphones. The start-up was among the companies that secured funding from Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: AgUnity

The Expo Live programme gave grants to companies like Ignitia in West Africa to produce reliable weather forecasts to small-scale farmers. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Compost Baladi, a Lebanese company, collects food waste so bio waste can be used as fertiliser. The company was among 140 start-ups awarded grants by Expo. Photo: Baladi's Earth Cubes

The Good Place Pavilion by Expo Live displayed innovations that transformed lives around the world. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Green energy and sustainable farming projects by grassroots organisations were part of the Good Place Pavilion by Expo Live at Expo City Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

A mobile application from Bangladesh aims to finance a child's education. The display drew crowds to the Good Place Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

The Good Place Pavilion is one of the legacy pavilions of Expo Live that remain after Expo 2020 Dubai concluded. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

A fresh round for the Expo Live Innovation programme has been announced with successful projects showcased during Cop28 in the UAE. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Successful entrepreneurs will get to present their projects during Cop28 in the UAE at Expo City Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Yousuf Caires, executive director, Expo Live Innovation Programme, said Expo was on the lookout for innovators with solutions to address climate change. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Desert Control from Norway devised a liquid nano clay substance that increases farm yields, one of 140 projects to win an Expo grant. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Using kites to capture high-altitude wind and harness energy for remote areas was among the sustainable projects highlighted during Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

The latest competition is one of several initiatives launched under the Make it in the Emirates umbrella. The programme, which was launched by the MoIAT last year, aims to attract investors, industrialists and innovators to the UAE to benefit from the country’s competitive advantages.

“Start-ups participating in the competition will be able to access unique investment and collaboration opportunities, as well as get exposed to a suite of incentives offered by the UAE’s advanced technology ecosystem,” Mr Al Hashimi said.

Applications for the competition close on May 5, the ministry said.

The judging panel will include representatives from Aspire, Edge Group, Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Technology Innovation Institute, Dubai Industrial City, UAE University and Strata.