Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Dubai has launched CREATE, a year-round innovation and entrepreneurship programme designed to help students transform early-stage ideas into viable startup ventures.
The programme was introduced at the Manipal Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conclave 2026, held at the MAHE Dubai campus as part of the university’s Founders’ Day celebrations honouring Dr. Ramdas M. Pai, Chancellor of MAHE. The two-day conclave gave students opportunities to address real-world problems through a Problem Identification Challenge, Entrepreneurship Simulation Competition, Innovation Hackathon and Seed Fund Pitch Presentation. Shortlisted teams were also given access to milestone-based seed funding.
A Structured Pathway from Idea to Startup
CREATE at MAHE Dubai extends the innovation and entrepreneurship journey across the academic year through four progressive stages.
Students begin with Ideathon, where they identify real-world problems and develop potential solutions. This is followed by Innovathon, which focuses on assessing feasibility, validating ideas with potential customers and developing sustainable business models.
The third stage, EntreHack, supports students in developing prototypes or minimum viable products and preparing their ideas for pitching. Inspirethon, the final stage, connects promising projects with incubation support, industry engagement, funding opportunities and pathways towards market launch.
Projects progress through five stage gates: selection, pre-incubation, incubation, acceleration and graduation, giving students a clear framework for developing their entrepreneurial ideas.
Building an Entrepreneurship Culture at MAHE Dubai
Speaking about the programme, Dr. S. Sudhindra, Pro Vice Chancellor, MAHE Dubai, highlighted CREATE’s role in giving students a practical route to transform ideas into ventures while encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with industry.
The programme is supported by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at MAHE Dubai, which will provide students with year-round access to design-thinking workshops, innovation challenges, market-validation sessions, mentoring, prototype development, pitch preparation, investor-readiness activities and intellectual property support.
Students will also have access to mentors and industry experts who can provide practical feedback and help them evaluate the market potential of their solutions.
Dedicated Spaces for Student Innovation
The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will feature dedicated environments supporting different stages of the entrepreneurial journey, including a Creativity Zone, Innovation Lab, Mentor and Pitch Zone, and Startup Incubation Zone.
These facilities are designed to create an environment where students can develop ideas, experiment, collaborate, seek mentorship and progressively build solutions with real-world potential.
Preparing Students for an Innovation-Driven Future
CREATE reflects MAHE Dubai’s broader focus on future-ready education, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The initiative supports the UAE’s ambitions to strengthen its position as a global innovation and entrepreneurship hub by providing students with a structured environment to develop entrepreneurial skills and explore startup opportunities. It also aligns with Dubai’s Education Strategy 2033, which places emphasis on entrepreneurship, future-ready skills and preparing learners to contribute to the emirate’s economic ambitions.
Through CREATE, MAHE Dubai aims to make innovation and entrepreneurship an integral part of the student experience, enabling learners to move beyond generating ideas and gain practical experience in developing, validating and scaling them.
By combining academic learning, mentorship, industry exposure, incubation and startup development, CREATE strengthens MAHE Dubai’s growing innovation ecosystem and provides students with opportunities to become future entrepreneurs, innovators and problem-solvers.
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