Abdi İbrahim Launches Social Innovation Project: "İyileştiren Fikirler Yarışması"

Abdi İbrahim, which has been working for 109 years in the pharmaceutical sector with the goal of improving lives, has announced an important support program as part of its social investment initiatives. The Improving Ideas Competition, launched to support projects that will provide social innovation in health and pharmaceutical fields, includes education, mentoring and financial support prizes. Applications will be made through www.wehealthefuture.com and will continue until 9 July 2021. Strengthening its global identity by establishing a strategic partnership with Swiss biotechnology company OM Pharma in September 2020, Abdi İbrahim has signed on to a new social investment program. The "Social Innovation in Health & Life Sciences: We Heal the Future" program was officially announced on 28 April at the Social Entrepreneurship Day. The Improving Ideas Competition, which is one of the most important parts of the company's sustainability strategy and which has been launched with a long-term perspective from 2021 onwards, is being implemented in partnership with important organizations in Turkey and the world in this field: Ashoka Turkey, Impact Hub Istanbul and Mikado Consulting. By bringing together experts in the field, Abdi İbrahim aims through this competition to support social entrepreneurs in health and pharmaceutical fields, strengthen and increase ideas focused on social benefit, understand social entrepreneurship potential, integrate further into the start-up ecosystem and benefit more from the opportunities offered by Industry 4.0. Until 9 July 2021, project applications can be submitted for the competition, which prioritizes four main themes as follows:

• Public Health and Awareness: Priority will be given to ideas and/or social enterprises aimed at raising public awareness and protecting public health. Efforts to increase health and prevention/protection activities targeting specific groups in the community (mothers, youth, etc.) will be encouraged.
• Research & Development in Health and Pharmaceutical Fields: Research and development-based innovative ventures focused on social benefit in health and pharmaceutical fields will be encouraged. Research and development activities necessary for innovative ideas in health and pharmaceutical fields will be provided.
• Inclusion of Disadvantaged Regions and Groups: Ventures that will reach regions that are disadvantaged in accessing correct information and health services in health and pharmaceutical fields will be encouraged. Ventures aimed at directly reaching groups that have difficulty accessing correct information in the health field (elderly, youth, mothers, etc.) will be supported as a priority.
• Innovation: Ideas and social ventures focused on social benefit that offer innovative solutions and methods in health and pharmaceutical fields will be prioritized in evaluation.

 

Dr. M. Oğuzcan Bülbül, Director of Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Abdi İbrahim, made the following statement regarding the competition: "This program actually stems from Abdi İbrahim's social investment programs. The principles that guide us have also played a role in the formation of our activities in the field of social innovation in health." and listed the specific objectives of the Improving Ideas Competition as follows:

• Contributing to the development of special creative solutions to problems in health and pharmaceutical fields,
• Increasing the number of entrepreneurs working with a focus on social benefit in health and pharmaceutical fields,
• Providing entrepreneurs and aspiring social entrepreneurs working with a focus on social benefit in health and pharmaceutical fields with the opportunity to develop their ventures.

 

Bülbül: Our goal is to provide sustainable social benefit

  Regarding the process of the competition's emergence, Dr. M. Oğuzcan Bülbül, who said "As Abdi İbrahim, we are taking steps that will shape the future with the impact power brought by our well-established and innovative structure. We are investing in R&D for our industry and public health, gradually increasing our production, expanding the geographies to which we export, and contributing to employment. In addition to all these, we want to strengthen our activities in the social sphere, add strength to our future steps and provide the contribution we can to our country in this respect as well. As Abdi İbrahim, we are not just producing medicines, we are improving lives and futures." explained that through this competition, they aim to provide contributions that align with company values, provide social benefit, touch all segments of society, and are measurable and sustainable. The competition, which was introduced on 28 April at Social Entrepreneurship Day and applications for which will continue until 9 July 2021, will have its winners announced on 9 September 2021. Following this, work will be carried out to identify the needs of finalists and incubation support will be launched. Abdi İbrahim professionals will also provide mentoring support during this process. Selected early and advanced stage ventures will receive education, communication, incubation and mentoring support, and the first-place early and advanced stage venture will also receive financial support. Advanced stage ventures will be provided with all these supports as well as business development opportunities with Abdi İbrahim.