The UAE adopted its own measurement tools including the Abu Dhabi Innovation Index to monitor progress towards innovation. While innovation outputs are measured by knowledge and technology outputs and creative outputs. Innovation inputs are measured based on institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication and business sophistication. The Global Innovative Index measures the performance of innovation in countries. The UAE’s progress cements its status amongst the world’s most innovative countries. The UAE’s overall rank improved by 1 position from last year and continues to lead the region for the 6th consecutive year. The UAE is ranked 33rd globally and 1st regionally (PDF, 1.86 MB) in the Global Innovation Index 2021. One of the Key Performance Indicators of this pillar is the Global Innovation Index. Innovation is part of the pillar 'United in Knowledge' of Vision 2021 which focuses on innovative Emiratis building a competitive economy. Watch this video about 2017 Moonshot Apprenticeship Program. Last day for submission is 18 November 2021. Learn more about the grant’s criteria and the steps to apply for it. It offers up to 100,000 USD per pilot that will facilitate testing of potential government initiatives and accelerate their development and implementation in the public sector. The grant aims to attract global experts to develop and implement innovative ideas to improve public sector initiatives and enhance the UAE’s readiness for the future. It resulted in launching the Moonshot Pilot Grant, which is a new public sector innovation fund that invites the international community to test piloting ideas in the UAE. The programme lasted for three months from June to August 2021. Through an interactive digital platform, the programme teamed up selected apprentices with a select group of UAE Government officials to work together on designing experimental models that include break-through ideas to address long-term challenges, which will then be adopted by the UAE Government. It received 700 applications from young talents around the world.
The programme was announced on 15 February 2021. These solutions will be working prototypes that could be used to create radical changes in the UAE’s journey of development towards the next fifty years. The UAE’s ‘ 2017 Moonshot Apprenticeship Program’ invited elite graduates from distinguished universities, colleges, and academic institutions in the UAE and the world, to collaborate with the UAE in co-creating and piloting innovative solutions to the pressing challenges, the governments face.