BrazilRTA's third Innovation Accelerators Programme kicks off
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has inaugurated the 3rd edition of its Innovation Accelerators Programme for its employees. The programme is held in conjunction with the Global Innovation Management Institute and facilitated by Sia Partners.
Launched in 2021, the Innovation Accelerators Programme is an 8 week innovation accelerator program for employees of RTA. The aim is to turn innovative ideas into concepts and prototypes.
With the employee-led innovation approach, the RTA aims to build a more comprehensive and inclusive funnel for its innovation portfolio, which already spans 150+ innovation projects including several breakthrough projects such as Air Taxi, Smart Yard, and Hyperloop.
“Dubai has the vision to become the smartest city in the world. Innovation is a key driver in this transformation journey. In order to realise this vision, RTA is committed to be the innovation and future shaping leader across transport entities regionally and globally by excelling in our innovative products & services, while delivering safe and smooth transport for all,” said Hussain Al Banna, CEO of RTA’s Strategy & Corporate Governance Sector.
The Innovation Accelerators Programme is part of RTA’s commitment to “fostering a culture of innovative culture among employees” Al Banna added, and will see innovation “embedding as a catalyst for change across services, products, processes and business models…. creating sustainable added-value for all the stakeholders.”
Edition 2023
In the third round, 20 employees spread across 5 specialised teams have been selected to develop and prototype their innovations. The use cases stretch across four main areas: mobility, infrastructure, urban planning, and sustainability.
The comprehensive programme entails over 100 working hours spread across 4 stages. The first step of training entails shaping the idea that will be produced, followed by its design and testing in the second phase of training. The third phase allows the team to create an initial model, while the fourth phase prepares for the announcement and launch of the business model.
The programme’s methodology centres around an approach developed by the Global Innovation Management Institute (GIMI), an institute that helps companies with developing their innovation capabilities through global standards, training, and certification. Sia Partners, a management consultancy and GIMI certified training partner in the Middle East, has been selected to deliver the programme (the consultancy also ran the first two editions).
Commenting on the firm’s involvement, Carlos Guevara, partner at Sia Partners said: “I take immense pride in our innovation partnership between Roads and Transport Authority, the Global Innovation Management Institute, and Sia Partners. Together, we are continuously propelling the mobility sector forward, pushing boundaries and embracing new possibilities. Our joint-team is dedicated to driving innovation and fostering progress in this ever-evolving field.”
“Previous editions of this program have been a remarkable success, having already graduated over 40 innovation practitioners who developed groundbreaking and resilient business concepts. These concepts have played a vital role in reinforcing RTA's position as a pioneer in the industry, ensuring our organization is future-ready.”
“We are therefore proud to also be involved in the 3rd edition of the RTA’s Innovation Accelerator in collaboration with the Global Innovation Management Institute.”
String of awards
Earlier this year, the RTA became the first organisation in the Middle East to move to ‘Level 4’ of GIMI’s innovation maturity framework. The authority also managed to bag clos to 30 regional and international innovation awards in the past three years alone.
For Al Banna, the recognition confirms that the investments been made are coming to fruition. “RTA’s organisational maturity in the domain of innovation has significantly advanced, demonstrating our leadership in executing high-quality innovation projects and initiatives.”
