Masdar City strengthens position as regional home for innovation

Masdar, a global leader in sustainable innovation and development, has announced the arrival of Abu Dhabi high-tech sector drivers, the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) and its two pillar entities, Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and ASPIRE, to Masdar City in the capital of the UAE.

Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), which shapes the R&D strategy in the emirate; TII, the dedicated ‘applied research’ pillar of ATRC; and ASPIRE, the technology programme management pillar of ATRC, have now joined a growing hub of world-class sustainable technology innovators at their new base in Masdar City.

Established in May 2020, ATRC was founded to define Abu Dhabi’s research strategy across academia and industry, consolidate funds for efficient investment, and drive policy and regulation. ATRC is tasked with creating a comprehensive framework for Abu Dhabi’s R&D activities by aligning investment in scientific enquiry through the council, and by building partnerships with local and global organisations.

Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC, said, “Our team is proud to have a new home in Masdar City among other pioneers in innovation and advanced technology, who share our commitment in addressing the world’s most critical challenges and creating a better future for everyone. This is what drives our work at ATRC.”

He added, “Our world-renowned scientists and researchers will be working on delivering transformative science and disruptive technological innovations at TII’s seven initial research centers of excellence within our Masdar City headquarters. We will also be seeking to fund research projects and develop and launch international competitions and grand challenges through ASPIRE.”

Mohamed Al Ramahi, CEO, Masdar, said, “The work and vision of ATRC, TII and ASPIRE to deliver discovery science and transformative technologies, that will not only prepare for the future but create it, perfectly aligns with Masdar’s vision to build a more sustainable future for all. We are delighted to welcome the three entities to their new home in Masdar City and very much look forward to supporting their work towards becoming a leading global research center dedicated to pushing the frontiers of knowledge.”

Al Ramahi, continued, “Since Masdar City broke ground in 2008, it has grown to become a model of sustainable urban living and a hub for the development of world class innovative technologies. Companies based in Masdar City benefit from its unique ecosystem of education, R&D, technology start-ups, incubators, and corporates. It also offers a strategic base through which companies can build their networks, explore multiple investment opportunities, and test new technologies. The arrival of ATRC and its two entities further elevates Masdar City’s position as the region’s centre for the development of innovation and technology and reinforces Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s status as an R&D hub and a global leader in breakthrough technologies.”

The research within TII’s centers covers seven initial dedicated areas - quantum, autonomous robotics, cryptography, advanced materials, digital security, directed energy and secure systems. “By guiding breakthrough technologies, our eyes are set on establishing Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE, as a desired home for advanced technology talent and a global hub for innovation. It is therefore quite natural for us to move to Masdar City, an innovative, well planned, research-and-technology-intensive futuristic city and a global hub for renewable energy and sustainable urban development, right here in the UAE capital,” Al Bannai concluded.

Masdar City is already home to more than 900 businesses, encompassing a variety of organizations - from multinationals and SMEs to homegrown startups - committed to advancing the sustainability agenda and spearheading the innovations to realize greener, more sustainable urban living. These include, among others, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the UAE Space Agency, Siemens, Tabreed, Honeywell, and the world’s first university dedicated to artificial intelligence, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). Masdar City is also home to leading HealthTech company, G42 Healthcare (G42), which is known for introducing one of the world’s largest Covid-19 testing and diagnostics laboratories, and establishing the Omics Center of Excellence, the region’s largest and most advanced Omics facility in terms of technology coverage, automation, computational capacity, and throughput.

Masdar City strengthens position as regional home for innovation with arrival of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council

The move by the Council and its entities, Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and ASPIRE, to Masdar City, adds to the growing number of innovation dedicated organizations moving to the regional hub of sustainable technology development.