Hub71 announces new academic partnerships to grow digital talent in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi tech ecosystem Hub71 has forged partnerships with UAE University’s Science and Innovation Park (UAEU SIP) and INSEAD Middle East Campus to upskill talent in Abu Dhabi and attract new science and technological capabilities to its community.

In a 2020 survey by PwC of CEOs in the Middle East, 70 per cent said the availability of key digital skills is a business threat and its GCC Hopes and Fears survey found that only 23 per cent of employees are learning new skills through their employer to better understand or use technology.

The institutions will benefit from Hub71’s network of partners and expert mentors to support students and alumni in addition to their startups receiving priority access to the Hub71 Incentive Programme.

The partnerships also include innovation workshops, joint programmes, events, hackathons and access to Hub71-based WeWork x Hub71 co-working space. Graduates can also avail recruitment and internship opportunities with Hub71 startups.

“Many industries and organisations, both small and large, find it difficult to recruit digital talent who will ultimately drive Abu Dhabi’s tech transformation,” said Hanan Harhara Al Yafei, CEO of Hub71.

“With this in mind, we’re planting the seeds of the future by increasing the talent pool in Abu Dhabi for our startups while ensuring we nurture the right skills and develop the talented people needed to cement the longevity of Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem.”

Read: Over $1bn piled into MENA-based startups in 2020

New Hub71 mentorship programme
Hub71 is hosting a pool of mentors from diverse backgrounds to support startups. Founders will be paired with mentors from startups, corporates, VCs and other innovation streams who have relevant experience to create meaningful connections and promote knowledge exchange.

Hub71 has also partnered with Yougig to introduce an online marketplace for its startup community to access more than 1 million tech developers worldwide at exclusive rates. Through software developer companies in Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia, Hub71 startups can now secure a diverse range of remote and on-site developers and on-demand, pay-by-the-hour services to enhance their teams.

Abu Dhabi Decoded
On February 10, Hub71 will host the third edition of the Abu Dhabi Decoded series in a new hybrid format. The session titled ‘Your Community Awaits’, will focus on the role education, academic research and community developers play in sustaining innovation and creating a tech cluster rooted in high-quality talent, as well as the benefits for entrepreneurs living, working, and scaling businesses in Abu Dhabi.

Moderated by Dan Murphy, Middle East anchor and correspondent at CNBC, the panel comprises Sara Musallam, chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), Hanan Harhara Al Yafei, CEO of Hub71, Ruba Yousef Al Hassan, executive director of Ghadan 21 at Abu Dhabi Executive Office, and Professor Dr. Eric Xing, president of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).