Out-of-Labs
Overview
The annual Out-of-Labs competition aims to challenge teams of Future Sustainability Leaders over nine months to create innovative solutions for sustainable development, fostering creativity, problem-solving and entrepreneurship under expert mentorship. Out-of-Labs is an empowering hub for all young innovators to advance their creative solutions.
The Out-of-Labs Innovation Challenge aims to empower young people to become sustainability innovators. Guided by mentors and industry experts, participants will undergo a nine-month virtual program that combines research, group workshops, mentorship, AI-enabled prototyping and user testing, ending with an in-person pitch day featuring presentations judged by experienced industry experts at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2027.
The challenge aims to support young people in developing their design thinking to tackle sustainability challenges collaboratively, develop skills and competencies, including entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership skills.
Objectives
To support participants with the acquisition of six critical skills aligned with career aspirations and personal growth objectives.
Facilitate networking opportunities for participants to connect with like-minded purpose-driven peers from all over the world, as well as industry experts and stakeholders.
Empower participants to start their entrepreneurial journey with 97+ hours of hands-on experience.
Provide access to resources, tools and additional learning opportunities for growth and development.
Potentially provide an additional three-month acceleration period for winning the project, support and resources for their idea, development and implementation phases.
Testimonials
Tamara Stojkovic
FSL 2023
“The Innovate 4 Climate challenge was a truly unique experience for me, marking my first steps into entrepreneurship. As the team leader of Terra, a group of young innovators tackling the shortage of EV charging stations in the UAE, I felt we had everything we needed to succeed from the knowledge gained through the Y4S app to numerous sessions with our mentors.
As one of the finalist teams, we had the incredible opportunity to pitch our project at COP28 in the Masdar Pavilion, an experience unlike any other. If you get the chance to participate in Innovate 4 Climate, remember it's not just another task, it's an excellent opportunity to create something impactful for our planet!”
Ashley Kamau
FSL 2023
“I4C presented us with an intriguing challenge: a single task with a shared deadline, tackled by over five teams composed of individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. In the end, each team came up with a totally unique and innovative solution, all working toward the same goal. Today, I believe that the I4C challenge is the reason behind my broadened perspective—there are multiple approaches to solving a problem.”
Nicolas Mauricio Cuadrado Avila
FSL 2023
“Participating in the I4C challenge was a transformative experience. Leading a diverse team in their free time to propose and structure a tech-based solution to combat climate change was both challenging and rewarding. The opportunity to pitch our idea at COP28 and win was incredible, allowing us to share our vision with global experts and enthusiasts. I encourage anyone passionate about climate action to engage in this challenge—it’s a unique platform to turn innovative ideas into impactful solutions.”
Maryam Al Moosawi
FSL 2023
“The I4C challenge was one of the best experiences during Y4S. From forming the groups to the execution at COP28, the I4C challenge has brought out both our leadership and teamwork skills. For me, it has shown me how youth from all over the world have a similar goal: to live to our fullest potential whilst living sustainably. I4C is a great challenge to push young people to be both creative and realistic in providing solutions to tackle climate change.”
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