Microsoft will host the finals of its Imagine Cup 2016, a technology contest for students, at the Ritz Carlton, Abu Dhabi, UAE on April 26.

Now in its 14th edition, the Imagine Cup has become a crucial part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark programme, a global CSR initiative, launched in 2012, aimed at delivering educational, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for more than 300 million young people around the world.

This year’s UAE finals is supported by Al Bayt Mitwahid Association, a UAE-based initiative founded by employees of the Crown Prince Court to promote solidarity between UAE communities.

Open to entrants who are 16 years or older, or enrolled as a permanent student, Imagine Cup invites creative youths to develop technology ideas from raw concepts and submit business plans on how they would bring their product to market.

Competing teams can enter one of three categories. Five finalists have been shortlisted from each category and from these finalists, Microsoft’s chosen judges will select a first, second and third place. Each of the three first-placed teams will automatically qualify to compete in the Pan-Arab semifinals to be held in Egypt in May.

The World Citizenship class challenges entrants to solve community challenges, while the Innovation category covers projects aimed at the business community.

The third option for competing teams is to design a leisure-time app for the Games category.

“We received 173 proposals this year from UAE teams – 26 in the Games category, 68 in Innovation and 79 in World Citizenship,” said Samer Abu Ltaif, regional general manager, Microsoft Gulf.

“This represents an all-time record in the Gulf region since the competition was launched in 2003. Today we find ourselves immersed in innovation – social media, mobile devices and cloud computing.

“Imagine Cup represents Microsoft’s commitment towards UAE’s vision in building a knowledge based economy and nurturing the creativity nestled in young people to innovate. Any one of our UAE finalists could bring mankind the next big thing, and that is a really exciting prospect for us,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service