Connecting Innovation in Abu Dhabi: Wazoku’s Connect Event at the House of Artisans

In October 2025, Wazoku hosted Connect Abu Dhabi, an invite-only gathering of innovation leaders and decision makers from across the UAE. The event was held at the House of Artisans, a beautiful and historic venue curated by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT). Surrounded by the heritage of Emirati craftsmanship, the discussions explored how innovation can be a driver of progress and help the UAE achieve its ambitious 2031 Vision.

This was the third Connect event Wazoku has hosted in Abu Dhabi, a city that is rapidly becoming the heart of InnoCentive’s vast open innovation ecosystem and a global hub investing heavily in the power of open innovation to achieve its mission.

A Meeting of Innovation Leaders

Connect Abu Dhabi brought together leading minds from Khalifa University, the Advanced Technology Research Council, the Technology Innovation Institute, the Department of Culture and Tourism, Aspire, Edge Group, and others. The sessions focused on the evolution of innovation ecosystems in the region and how collaboration between government, academia, and industry can accelerate national transformation.

DCT: Empowering Employees to Shape a Sustainable Future

Akasha Handa from DCT shared insights into their Innovation Programme, powered by Wazoku, which enables employees to crowdsource ideas aimed at making Abu Dhabi a more sustainable and visitor-friendly city. By creating space for staff across the organisation to contribute ideas, DCT is building a culture where innovation is part of everyday work. The initiative demonstrates how open innovation can support public sector missions by connecting creativity with strategic impact.

Edge Group: Pioneering Open Innovation in Practice

Edge Group, one of the regional pioneers in open innovation, was represented by Anoud Alhafedhi and Basmah Al Zeyoudi. They presented how Edge has successfully used Wazoku’s Innocentive platform to launch three global challenges, with one currently active. Their work illustrates how external problem solvers can bring fresh thinking to complex strategic questions, helping Edge accelerate its R&D goals and strengthen its position as a leader in advanced technologies.

Activating Human Intelligence

As with the Dubai Connect event, a recurring theme was Activating Human Intelligence. Rikki Bains and Schonning Eysturoy represented Wazoku and shared fresh insights from recent research comparing AI ideation with human ideation. The findings sparked engaging discussion on how AI and human creativity can complement each other in solving complex innovation challenges.

Wazoku’s approach combines the reach of its global solver network of more than 700,000 experts with AI-driven decision intelligence tools to help organisations innovate with greater foresight and value. The conversations in Abu Dhabi reflected a growing recognition that innovation is not just about technology, but about combining human insight with collective intelligence to deliver measurable outcomes.

Looking Ahead

The Connect series continues to highlight a regional movement toward collaborative innovation, where data, talent, and ecosystems intersect. In Abu Dhabi, that vision was brought to life through open dialogue and shared ambition. Across government, academia, and industry, a common purpose emerged: to turn ideas into impact and build a more sustainable, human-centred future for the region.