20 ASPIRING OMANI INNOVATORS SELECTED FOR ‘GLASSPOINT INNOVATION SPUR’ PROGRAMME

Commemorating Global Entrepreneurship Week, 20 Omani innovators representing six emerging businesses made it into the next stage of the full-cycle incubation program ‘GlassPoint Innovation Spur’. The program is set to contribute and sustainably drive innovation within Oman’s renewable energy and water management sectors. After a rigorous selection process for more than 140 applicants from across the Sultanate, the program’s steering board comprised of GlassPoint, The Research Council (TRC), Innovation Park Muscat (IPM), Public Authority for SME Development (Riyada) and the Fund for Development of Youth Projects (Sharakah), has selected these innovators to participate in the next stage of the programme, the three-month ‘Spur Workout’ phase. Badar Al Sariri, Country Director, Oman at GlassPoint said, “We are committed to spearheading a culture of innovation across Oman.

The 20 finalists share our vision in contributing to the Sultanate’s efforts to be an epicenter of renewable energy and water management solutions. They were selected based on their original ideas, impact on the community, as well as the business viability and potential of sustainable success in the marketplace.”

The majority of the six finalist business proposals were created by Omani student-led groups from various universities across the Sultanate. The two-year programme equips participants with valuable skill sets through coaching and mentorship, as they transform their innovations into implementable businesses. The 20 selected innovators will spend the next three months from January 2019 in the ‘Spur Workout’ phase, designed to prepare them for the final pitch by building their full business plan and be eligible to enter the one year ‘Spur Incubation’ phase to establish their invention.

The final three inventions will be awarded a combined total of up to OMR 45,000 in initial seed funding for further development and testing.