Sharjah 24: In line with its vision to develop the business and leadership skillsets to empower female professionals, the Badiri Education and Development Academy (Badiri) - the education and capacity building arm of the UAE-based NAMA Women Advancement, recently organised a field visit that enabled aspiring entrepreneurs gain a comprehensive overview of the various types of support offered to the entrepreneurial community in the Emirate of Sharjah, and to explore ways of leveraging technology to test new ideas.

The first batch of participants of the Badiri Entrepreneurship Programme (BEP) 2021 visited the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) to gain insights into the innovation ecosystem of the scientific research centre and explored the latest technologies in the Sharjah Open Innovation Lab (SoiLAB) at SRTIP to learn how such technologies can be harnessed to support enterprise activities.  

During the visit, participants under the Badiri Entrepreneurship Programme participated in various training activities utilising innovative technologies and devices under the supervision of experts at SoilLAB. They also interacted with several SRTIP-based entrepreneurs to learn from their entrepreneurial experiences and expertise.

BEP was launched in March this year in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and in partnership with local and international entities to nurture the skillsets of students who are largely UAE-based businesswomen and entrepreneurs. The visit stems from BEP’s action-oriented inclusive curriculum designed to help participants turn their ideas into successful business projects and start-ups.

The programme seeks to increase women’s participation in entrepreneurship and focuses on nurturing the leadership and entrepreneurial skillsets of women in business. The course curriculum covers a broad range of entrepreneurship concepts and enables participants to experience hands-on training and best practices to prepare them for their entrepreneurial journey. 

The programme also encompasses practical workshops, educational courses, field visits, and one-on-one sessions to discuss each individual’s business plans, in addition to responding to all questions or inquiries.

Fatima Al Hosani, Programme Manager at Badiri Academy, said: “BEP’s objectives of equipping participants with the knowledge, skills, and expertise essential to launch innovative social and economic growth-orientated start-ups and business projects was realised through the educational field visit to SRTIP, the technology and innovation hub of Sharjah.”

She added: “At SRTIP, participants gained first-hand knowledge about the many innovative digital and technological facilities that aid in implementing and transforming entrepreneurial ideas and projects into reality. The technical workspace of SoiLAB not only fostered technical creativity but also offered key insights into the project development cycle and the processes involved in translating an idea into a complete product.”