Abdi İbrahim Organizes Competition for Social Innovation in Healthcare

Abdi İbrahim Takes Major Step in Social Innovation for Healthcare Abdi İbrahim, which has been operating in the pharmaceutical sector for 109 years with the goal of improving lives, has extended applications for the Improving Ideas Competition, launched as part of its community investment programs, until 31 July. For detailed information and to apply, visit www.wehealthefuture.com. Abdi İbrahim, a leading Turkish pharmaceutical company with 19 years of success that strengthened its global presence by establishing a strategic partnership with Swiss biotechnology company OM Pharma in September 2020, is continuing intensive efforts under its "Social Innovation in Health & Life Sciences: We Heal the Future" program launched in April. The Improving Ideas Competition, one of the most important pillars of the company's sustainability strategy and part of community investment programs to be implemented with a long-term perspective from 2021 onwards, has been brought to life through joint work with two important civil society organizations in Turkey and worldwide. In the Improving Ideas Competition, semi-finalist training will commence for projects that pass the preliminary evaluation and reach the semifinals. Following demo-day presentations and needs assessments, incubation support will begin. Abdi İbrahim professionals will provide mentoring support during this process. Selected early and advanced stage ventures will receive training, communication, incubation and mentoring support, and the first-place early and advanced stage venture will also receive financial assistance. Advanced stage ventures will receive all these supports plus, depending on evaluations, business development opportunities with Abdi İbrahim. The Improving Ideas Competition is being realized in partnership with Ashoka Turkey, Impact Hub Istanbul and Mikado Consulting, important organizations in this field in Turkey and worldwide. Through this competition, Abdi İbrahim aims to support social entrepreneurs in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, strengthen ideas focused on social benefit, and increase social entrepreneurship potential. The four main themes established for project applications, which have been extended to 31 July 2021 upon request, are as follows:

• Public Health and Awareness: Priority will be given to ideas and/or social ventures aimed at raising public awareness and protecting public health. Efforts to increase health and prevention activities targeting special groups in society (mothers, youth, etc.) will be encouraged.
• Research & Development in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals: Innovative ventures focused on social benefit based on research and development in healthcare and pharmaceuticals will be encouraged. Research and development activities will be enabled for innovative ideas in healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
• Inclusion of Disadvantaged Regions and Groups: Ventures aimed at reaching disadvantaged regions in access to correct information and healthcare services will be encouraged. Ventures targeting direct outreach to groups that struggle to access correct health information (elderly, youth, mothers, etc.) will be prioritized for support.
• Innovation: Ideas and social ventures focused on social benefit that offer innovative solutions and approaches in healthcare and pharmaceuticals will be prioritized in evaluation.

The specific objectives of the Improving Ideas Competition are as follows: * Contribute to the development of specialized creative solutions to problems in healthcare and pharmaceuticals; * Increase the number of entrepreneurs working with a focus on social benefit in healthcare and pharmaceuticals; * Provide opportunities to entrepreneurs and prospective social entrepreneurs working with a focus on social benefit in healthcare and pharmaceuticals to develop their ventures.