UAE - Mubasher: Expo 2020 will welcome 23 new social innovators as part of its global innovation and partnership programme, Expo Live, according to a recent press release.

Australia's Talent Beyond Boundaries providing work opportunities for refugees, Malta-based BrainTrip tackling a dementia breakthrough, and the environmentally-sustainable Indian packaging company Ecoware are among the innovators.

Amal Work, a Palestine-based start-up aiming to change the lives of construction workers in Palestine will also join the programme.

Since its launch in 2016, the Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme (IIGP) has expanded from 29 global innovators in 22 countries to 142 innovators across 76 countries.

The programme offers these innovators funding of up to AED 367,000 ($100,000), expert advice, and the opportunity to share their ideas. 

The programme's applicants should present an innovation that could solve some of the world’s greatest challenges, including the rising unemployment rates, inequality, and poor access to quality healthcare.

Meanwhile, the programme supports several social entrepreneurs from Arab countries, including the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Lebanon, and 35% of the innovators are women.

The Senior Vice President of Expo Live, Yousuf Luiz Caires, said: "All projects supported by Expo Live so far – from improving access to mental health platforms in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or the UK, to innovative recycling technology in China – remain committed to improving people’s lives during the global health crisis."