Innovation Factory launches two educational programmes

Muscat: Oman’s first digital manufacturing plant Innovation Factory will announce two educational programmes during an event at Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM).
Sponsored by BP Oman, the programmes are developed to meet the rapid changes in science and technology, aiming to generate a pool of young Omani inventors, and endeavours to empower the youth through the creation of an ecosystem that supports the passion for innovation.
The launch will be held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Faris bin Turki Al Said, and will be attended by representatives from the Ministry of Education, Information Technology Authority, Public Authority for SME Development, National Youth Committee, BP Oman and KOM.
“We believe that innovation is a key driver for our businesses. Supporting Innovation Factory’s initiatives is in line with our belief that innovation/technology can have a great impact on people’s lives,” said Shamsa Ahmed Al Rawahi, BP Oman’s Social Investment Programme Officer. “We hope these new initiatives will equip young Omanis with the skills to become leading innovators.”
Whilst the first programme called ‘The Exploration’ intends to investigate future technologies, the second initiative, ‘The Core’, aims to develop the innovation skills of the youngsters. The initiatives are designed to introduce young adults to the fundamentals of innovation through a series of educational activities, coaching and support. The objective is to encourage the youth to consider the science of the future and contribute to the welfare of the Omani society by developing innovative solutions for problems.
The Exploration programme will start with a projection mapping show about Oman, which was developed by a group of Omani youth, hailing from various technical backgrounds. The programme targets 24 young inventors falling in the age group of 18 to 35, involving four activities, namely, Project Mapping, Soft Robotics, Aeroponic Garden and Wave Energy.
Created for children aged nine to 15, the Core aims to attract 500 participants. It comprises four activities — Water Rocket, Composite Materials and Recycling, Mini Maker and the Amazing Science Show, which will be conducted twice a week, one for schools and one for the general public.
“We believe that success and innovation starts with the right platform; therefore, we designed the Exploration and the Core programmes, driving the possibility to educate, train and enhance the talents of our youth,” said Firas Khamis Ahmed Al Musafir, founder and chief executive officer of the Innovation Factory. “The initiatives we plan promote, sustain and use innovation in various fields of our society. This makes it a good enough motive to study and teach innovation and apply this knowledge for the economic development and well being of our nation,” he added. Innovation Factory is the first digital manufacturing plant in Oman and is a result of five years of collaborative work between Innovation Factory and Information Technology Authority. It is an establishment that aims to spread the culture of innovation and fabrication by promoting the use of technology, knowledge and guide innovators to solve challenges faced by the community and the world using technology and their innovations.