District 2020, the future vision of Expo, will help drive Dubai’s innovative ecosystem and facilitate multi-stakeholder co-creation shares Tala Al Ansari, director and head – innovation ecosystem & Scale2Dubai, Expo 2020 Dubai
Dubai climbed up seven spots, ranking 11th among the top 100 emerging ecosystems and the first in the MENA region, according to the Global Start-up Ecosystem Report 2021, which has data from over 3 million companies across 280 ecosystems.
“Seeing Dubai jump seven positions and be ranked first in the Arab world reflects the huge leaps that the city has achieved in recent years in terms of incubating and supporting start-ups,” said Tala Al Ansari, director and head – innovation ecosystem & Scale2Dubai, Expo 2020 Dubai.
“Dubai has evolved to create a vision of a leading future city….we have seen this during the pandemic when the Dubai Government launched a AED7.1 billion ($1.9bn) economic stimulus package that supported companies and the business sector.”
The report was conducted by Start-up Genome, a policy advisory and research organisation, in collaboration with District 2020 to highlight Dubai’s strengths against ecosystems globally.
District 2020 is the future vision of Expo 2020 Dubai – a sustainable and human-centric future city, which aims to foster a global innovation ecosystem that will support Dubai’s future agenda and the growth of the UAE’s economy.
The report also revealed that Dubai’s ecosystem ranked second regionally and 10th globally in terms of emerging ecosystem funding, having generated $8bn in ecosystem value with $509 million in total early-stage funding over the past two years.
“Dubai is now one of the top leading start-up ecosystems globally as it has become a haven for entrepreneurs and small businesses to scale their businesses and thrive. It has led to a community of start-up incubators, accelerators and regulatory sandbox schemes to develop and test new tech business models,” said Al Ansari.
Dubai was also second place among the MENA ecosystem for talent and experience, as well as performance, which is measured based on the accumulated tech start-up value created from exits and funding.
“Dubai is now one of the top leading start-up ecosystems globally as it has become a haven for entrepreneurs and small businesses to scale their businesses and thrive.”
Dubai has become a haven for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Al Ansari also believes that Dubai has earned its status as a start-up capital.
“The city is built for the next generation of tech and its Free Zone incentives, strategic innovation policy and prosperity inspire entrepreneurs to take their businesses to the next level,” she said. “It offers entrepreneurs and start-ups a platform for ease of set up and scale. Its pro-business regulatory environment and global logistics power means entrepreneurs can go from licensing to launch, at pace with a strong network of incubators and accelerators ready to support.”
District 2020
Around 80 percent of the infrastructure built for Expo will be retained and repurposed into an integrated multi-purpose community that will bring together people, businesses, spaces, technologies and industries.
This smart city will reveal its blueprint at its ‘Future of Expo 2020’ experience hub, in which visitors will be able to see the vision behind how the mega-event will evolve into the future and how it will play a key role in the sustainable urban development of Dubai.
“District 2020’s purpose is to unlock human potential and provide a progressive urban community to live, work and explore, where well-being and sustainability are prioritized. We also have a mission to curate an innovation ecosystem that encourages the growth of industry and technologies,” shared Al Ansari.
Driven by its vision for creating an innovative ecosystem in Dubai, District 2020 will actively facilitate growth opportunities by bringing together all stakeholders in key sectors, including Fortune 500s, SMEs, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and innovators. As a multi-stakeholder platform, it will help support businesses to co-create, scale, and thrive within the city.
Eighty percent of the infrastructure built for Expo will be retained and repurposed.
To date, District 2020 has already attracted some of the world’s leading industrial, tech and logistics giants, including Siemens, Terminus and DP World.
“We will facilitate connections between large and small businesses to encourage new connections and partnerships that will spur innovation of new ideas and solutions across sectors shaping the future of urban environments.”
“District 2020 will continue Expo’s commitment to entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses. It will also contribute to the goals and the growth of Dubai’s innovation-driven economy through its focus to curating a multi-stakeholder ecosystem that includes corporates and industry leaders, in order to drives progress in critical sectors such as smart logistics and industry 4.0 and future technologies which Dubai has a leading position in,” commented Al Ansari.
District 2020’s master plan has been shaped to create a vibrant urban environment that stems from the values and ambitions of Expo 2020, with plans to continue its expansion to include residential areas, co-working spaces, and green spaces, eventually accommodating a population of 145,000 at full capacity.
It will also play an integral role in supporting Dubai’s current and future growth ambitions and has been identified as the fifth urban centre in the Dubai 2040 Urban Masterplan.
Scale2Dubai
Accelerating Dubai’s innovative start-up and entrepreneurial scene has been a strong focus point for District 2020, which has established its own dedicated entrepreneurship programme, Scale2Dubai, for this purpose.
The equity-free programme provides successful applicants with the support they need complemented by a sense of community. Businesses that align with District 2020’s key sectors and technologies will have the opportunity to become part of the ecosystem, where they will be able to collaborate and ideate with diverse stakeholders, including academia, government entities, and Fortune 500 companies.
Tala Al Ansari, director and head – innovation ecosystem & Scale2Dubai, Expo 2020 Dubai.
The programme will actively facilitate access to deal flow, funding, talent, banking services, IT infrastructure, and more.
“We aim to support companies with a proven track record to scale up in Dubai and gain access to new markets; priority will be given to Series A companies.”
Commenting on the incentives that the successful applicants will receive, Al Ansari said: “Through Scale2Dubai, we will help aspiring entrepreneurs get on the fast track to Dubai through a soft landing.”
“They will be provided with two years of free working space, two-year visa, business setup, and more. Additionally, they will be empowered by District 2020’s unrivalled physical and digital infrastructure, strategic geographic location, and unequalled work and living environment.”
https://www.arabianbusiness.com/expo-news/469422-district-2020-how-the-future-of-expo-2020-will-drive-dubais-innovative-ecosystem
