The UAE Innovation Month Committee in Sharjah, in cooperation with Sahab Smart Solutions, has organised a workshop entitled "Design Thinking" presented by Design Thinking Academy at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa).

 

Sharjah government staff participated in the workshop, aimed at helping them adopt a modern way of thinking in their field of work.

 

Ahmed Al Qaseer, Chairman of the UAE Innovation Month Committee in Sharjah emphasised that under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Emirate has wholeheartedly embraced innovation and instilled it in the hearts of the community to create a sustainable society and keep pace with the future job market.

 

He pointed out that the committee focuses heavily on promoting innovation as a culture in society through cooperation with various entities and departments in Sharjah, stressing the need to improve various service sectors in the Emirate.

 

Amin Al Zarouni, CEO of Sahab Smart Solutions, said: "Through this workshop, we seek to instil the concept of innovation in Sharjah’s various institutions and departments, while creating an innovative work environment that stimulates creativity and thinking outside of the box. We rely on such workshops to come up with developmental ideas to improve the system of government work.”

 

He added: "We focus on the importance of developing new methods that help upgrade the quality and efficiency of different ideas. In addition, we aim to make innovation and creativity a way of life and an approach that we follow on a daily basis."

 

The two-stage workshop, presented by Dr Laith Weldali, Co-founder of Design Thinking Academy, examined the fundamentals of design thinking as a way to develop ideas and invent new solutions to meet the challenges of the times, given that design thinking focuses on actions rather than just thinking.

 

Participants in the workshop were divided into groups of 4-5 employees. Each group was given a challenge, to which they were asked to come up with unconventional solutions.

 

The workshop saw great interaction by employees, who worked hard to analyse each challenge and offer innovative solutions to it.  The government sector plays a pivotal role in consolidating the concept of innovation in society, given that it influences all aspects of life, including education, health, investment, research sciences and entrepreneurship.

 

Dr Weldali said: "The significance of design thinking lies in its comprehensive and wide impact, which makes this skill highly desirable as it influences the community as a whole.”

 

He added: "The workshop participants have embarked upon the design thinking journey using tools that enable them to innovate, solve problems and generate ideas to come up with solution prototypes, develop ideas and put them into effect."

 

He affirmed that design thinking works to improve services and products, as it focuses heavily on the human side and its needs. 

 

It is worth noting that the UAE Innovation Month in Sharjah, scheduled to kick off in February, seeks to celebrate the innovative and talented by highlighting their latest ideas, innovations and inventions that help boost the system of government work in the Emirate.-- Tradearabia News Service