Yousuf Luiz Caires, senior vice president, Expo Live
Expo 2020 Dubai unveils new round of social entrepreneurs, as it completes cycle five of its Innovation Impact Grant Programme (IIGP). In this round, 23 new global innovators have been selected from 4,000-plus applicants across 170 countries.
An Australian organisation providing work opportunities for refugees, a dementia breakthrough from Malta and an environmentally-sustainable Indian packaging company are among 23 new social innovators in cycle five helping to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges as part of Expo 2020’s global innovation and partnership programme, Expo Live.
IIGP began in 2016, and has since expanded from 29 global innovators in 22 countries to 142 grantees across 76 countries, with each offered funding of up to AED367,000 ($100,000), plus expert advice and the opportunity to share their ideas with a global audience.
As Expo 2020 Dubai unveils new round of social entrepreneurs, Yousuf Luiz Caires, senior vice president, Expo Live said, “Through Expo Live, Expo 2020 is demonstrating its commitment to driving solutions that will positively affect global communities and future generations, supporting social impact start-ups across the world. All projects supported by Expo Live so far – from improving access to mental health platforms in Egypt, Saudi Arabia or the UK, to innovative recycling technology in China – remain committed to improving people’s lives during the global health crisis. The latest cohort of global innovators will carry on this tradition, inspiring others to find solutions to challenges in their own communities, playing a significant role in helping shape a better world.”
This cycle’s global innovators include Palestine-based start-up Amal Work empowers construction workers to find suitable employment opportunities; environmentally-sustainable Indian packaging company Ecoware; Cameron-based telemedicine platform GICMED; Malta-based BrainTrip; and Australia-based Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), among others.
More than half the global innovators in cycle five are led by women, highlighting Expo Live’s commitment to female-led entrepreneurship and building on the major contribution of women in the delivery of Expo 2020. To date, 35% of all global innovators, 49 out of 142 in the IIGP, are led by female entrepreneurs.
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