Third National Exhibition of Innovation and Crafts
May 20–21, 2026 | Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (Junior)
HAMAMETE will hold its Third National Innovation and Design Competition and Exhibition from May 20–21, 2026, featuring young inventors and researchers from all regions of the country. Youths who have been receiving vocational training related to innovation and technology for more than two years will also graduate during the event.
The grand national event, which will open on May 20 at the Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (former Junior Club), will be attended by invited guests, youth, students, and members of the public.
HAMAMETE has been recognizing innovative works submitted by youths on various occasions. It encourages and strengthens the spirit of competition, creativity, and innovation. As a nation, it contributes to building a better present and plays an important role in shaping a promising future. This inspiring movement requires serious nurturing and continuous support to ensure its sustainability and growth.
To ensure its continuity, the initiative must be institutionalized. However, it is not enough to identify the potential of inventors and researchers and organize exhibitions or competitions alone. Since innovation is measured by its results and impact, it must also be reflected in everyday life. This requires all sectors of society to take active initiatives within their respective fields to support and facilitate innovation.
Since the main goal of HAMAMETE is to awaken, organize, and equip the youth, the mission of innovation and creativity falls under the concept of “equipping.” It reached the conclusion that this effort should not only be sustained, but also organized in a stable and lasting manner through the establishment of an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.
To formulate a clear vision, mission, values, competencies, goals, and objectives, HAMAMETE designed an implementation strategy in 2023 through experts in the field and further enriched the idea through various workshops. It planned to strengthen its performance and competition activities, which have continued to grow stronger through experience
The center’s priority is to increase youth participation in creative skills, encourage innovative ideas and initiatives that provide solutions to societal challenges, create employment opportunities, and help young people become economically self-reliant. The center began building these essential foundations with the understanding that such goals can only be achieved through strong coordination with relevant partners.
The HAMAMETE Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center also clarified the nature of its activities to turn its goals into reality. Its major implementation plans include establishing innovation and art clubs in the regions, evaluating and ranking outstanding ideas at national and regional levels, conducting training, counseling, and networking programs, promoting exemplary youth and their best works through media platforms, and transforming outstanding ideas and projects into practical implementation and products through grants and loans
In 2022 and 2023, the center launched its programs by providing training to innovators and researchers in the Central, Southern, and Anseba regions. Accordingly, organizing committees were formed at the regional level. Following this, the first national exhibition and competition was successfully organized in 2023 with the participation of selected inventors and researchers from the respective regions.
The event, held in the heart of the innovation hub, was inspiring and reflected the true spirit of creativity and development. The initiative continued to receive a sustainable response, with the Gash Barka region and the two Red Sea regions joining the three regions that had already secured participation. As a result, the second national exhibition and competition of inventors and researchers was successfully conducted.
The Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center currently has a jury composed of 14 experts from various institutions. It provides three levels of training to middle and high school students. The center has already organized a creative idea competition and is continuing to expand its outreach through different media channels.
The Third National Exhibition of Innovation and Crafts is expected to further strengthen the culture of innovation, inspire young inventors and researchers, and contribute to national development through creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship.