Omantel, the Omani telecommunications company, officially launched its Innovation Labs on January 10. Along with the Labs, the company also inaugurated its 5G experience center, the Omantel Innovation Oasis, and E-Dukkan, an unstaffed convenience store.
Innovation Labs
The Omantel Innovation Labs were launched in order to leverage the company’s expertise, partnerships, reach and access to technology and in order to contribute to Oman’s Vision 2040 while promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in new and emerging technologies including 5G, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, customer experience technology and big data.
Omantel’s Innovation Labs initiative aims to create an ecosystem of partners to catalyse the rapid growth of technology start-ups in Oman, develop a platform that can identify and support relevant innovations in Oman to maintain Omantel’s prominent position as the leader in technology and to identify and invest in a portfolio of start-ups that are aligned with Omantel’s strategic growth plan.
Participating start ups benefit from a 1,100 sqm space that allows for knowledge-sharing and co-working with Omantel teams. The space has nine meeting rooms, a community square, a hardware lab, co-working space and individual offices. The space is also a venue for multiple ecosystem activities that engage and link the start ups with corporate partners, academia, investors and government entities.
Innovation Oasis
The Omantel Innovation Oasis showcases uses of 5G technology and other frontier technologies. It complements the Omantel Innovation Labs as a place where future incubated tech start-ups can potentially showcase their innovations.
The Innovation Labs will organize, participate in, and host activities in support of the company’s internal innovation agenda by providing spaces, approaches, events and activities that can accelerate product conceptualization, prototyping, testing and deployment of solutions to Oman- and Omantel-centric challenges.
E-Dukaan
E-Dukaan is powered by artificial intelligence and IoT. E-Dukaan offers a queue-free, cashless, grab-and-go shopping experience and is an example of how IoT can serve different sectors of the economy. Shoppers can walk out with their items, without having to scan them at the counter or having to deal with physical money or bank cards. AI sensors automatically detect items in the shopping basket and bill the customer directly from their virtual wallet through an app. The store has no billing counters or cashiers.
His Highness Sayyid Dr Fahad bin Al Julanda Al Said said, “I congratulate Omantel on these path-breaking launches. They are yet another step towards realizing Oman’s digital future and economic diversification objectives and align with Oman Vision 2040 objectives.
“Seeing these start-ups harness frontier technologies under Omantel Innovation Labs and contribute towards national growth while being examples of entrepreneurial spirit gives us immense pride. I have complete faith and confidence in the sharp young Omani minds. They have the talent, and Omantel is playing the enabler by guiding and shaping their ideas into successful, profitable ventures.”
His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahad bin Al Julanda Al Said added, “The parallel launch of Omantel Innovation Oasis and E-Dukaan underscore their symbiosis and synergy with Omantel Innovation Labs. While the Labs incubate, the Oasis showcases the potential of frontier digital technologies while the smart store is a real-world application of innovation. I once again congratulate Omantel as well as the start-ups.”
Talal bin Said Al Mamari, CEO, Omantel said, “We are excited and proud of these launches. The Omantel Innovation Labs are a platform that will channelize the Company’s resources in a way that they are invested in the growth of Oman’s tech entrepreneurial domain. We are aligned with the goals of Oman Vision 2040.
“The Labs are a vital component in our journey towards a digital future. They will put expertise in the right and deserving start-ups that are looking to push the boundaries of economic growth through self-reliance, riding on technology. We wish the start-ups the best and I am sure that it will be a symbiotic relationship where we learn and gain from each other. We look forward to more local innovation through Omantel Innovation Labs.”
He added, “We want the world to know that 5G has more applications than perceived. E-Dukaan is an initiative Omantel is very proud of as it is the first smart store in the entire Middle East. Omantel provided the necessary smart technologies while OOMCO introduced a mix of products compatible with the technologies used in the store. We are certain that shoppers will enjoy the experience.”
Accelerator program
Five Omani start ups are already enrolled in the Omantel Innovation Labs’ Accelerator Program designed in collaboration with local and international partners. The program is tailored to the needs of each participating start up to assist them in commercializing, growing rapidly, and scaling effectively, while ensuring the technical feasibility, market desirability, and financial viability of their products and operations.
The enrolled companies are Autoplant, an AI and IoT solutions start up for the farming industry to improve agricultural decision making, Lamma, Oman’s first super app, a unified communication platform with payment integration, Mamun, an embedded credit, payments and insurance platform, Pixel Tech, a subscription-based tool that allows sellers in the GCC to easily set up digital stores and sell their products online, and Remedy.om, a platform that connects patients with clinics and therapists. In addition, three new winners from the last edition of the Upgrade program will be incubated in the near future.
Omantel recently announced a deal with Ericsson to support innovation and entrepreneurs across Oman.
