Dh3m awards to encourage health care innovation

19 to receive Technology and Innovation Pioneers Healthcare Awards on May 9

Anumber of technological innovations are set to change the health care landscape as Abu Dhabi hands out its first set of Technology and Innovation Pioneers (TIP) Healthcare Awards next week, top health and industry experts announced in the capital yesterday.

A total of Dh3 million will be distributed among 19 winners who have worked to develop technologies for patents, proofs of concept and startups, all in a bid to bring about innovative solutions to health care challenges, they added.

“The awards will help the management of noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and asthma, and improve the quality of life for patients. Indeed, some of the innovations are set to be market-disruptive,” Dr Asma Al Mannaei, director of health care quality at the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH), told Gulf News.

“Our focus is not on just awarding developers but also to ensure that the technologies are accepted by policymakers and implemented by providers,” added Salem Bin Shabib, adviser for innovation, incubation and small and medium projects at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (DED).

The officials were speaking at a press conference held to announce the upcoming TIP Awards, which will be handed out alongside the TIP Conference on May 9. The awards have been initiated by the UAE Ministry of Economy and the Abu Dhabi DED, in collaboration with the DOH.

More than 1,180 ideas were submitted for the awards by applicants from a number of countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, France and Egypt. These were evaluated and then re-evaluated.

Among the award winners, there are eight Emiratis, 10 UAE residents, three international applicants and one applicant with special needs.