MoIAT to explore sustainability in the UAE’s manufacturing sector

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) on Tuesday hosted a live panel discussion in collaboration with Schneider Electric, to find ways to boost the UAE’s ongoing efforts to forge a globally competitive and sustainable industrial base at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The panel hosted Sarah Al Amiri, the UAE’s Minister of State for Advanced Technology, and Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric, at the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The discussion focused on MoIAT’s mission to further enhance the UAE’s advanced industrial sector, ways of upskilling national human capital, the latest global digitlisation trends, sustainability and energy management, and facilitating technology and knowledge transfers to support the UAE’s vision.

Speaking at the session, Sarah Al Amiri said: “Industry 4.0 technologies empower to connect all stakeholders, in addition to raw material and products, into a resource for sustainability and future growth. The UAE Industry 4.0 Programme, for example, is designed to accelerate the integration of 4IR solutions and applications across the UAE’s industrial sector.

“One of the core elements of the programme is the Champions 4.0 Network, in which leading local and international companies unite to share best-practice in the deployment of 4IR technologies across the UAE’s industrial sector. A key pillar of the network is the Smart Industry Readiness Index to help manufacturers – regardless of size and industry – start, scale, and sustain their manufacturing transformation journeys.”

She added: “These partnerships with Schneider Electric, as a global specialist in energy management and automation, are a testament to our approach of collaborative innovation. By working with partners, across industries and beyond borders, we can create lasting and systematic change and provide a living lab for pioneering solutions.”

Our partnership with the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology is a reflection of Schneider Electric’s commitment and belief in the power of Public Private Partnerships, and the role Schneider Electric can play in the digital transformation of the UAE industrial sector,” said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Schneider Electric.

“Being part of the Ministry’s Champions 4.0 network, and with the deep knowledge and experience Schneider Electric brings in the areas of Digitization, facilitates the convergence of Industry 4.0 and Energy Efficiency for Sustainability.”

“This can empower major players in the UAE manufacturing sector to accelerate the transformation to green and intelligent manufacturing, and align with the country leadership’s vision to maintain the sustainable growth of the sector and boosting its contribution to the economic development of the nation,” added Tricoire.

The meeting follows a series of collaborations between the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Schneider Electric, including the Champions 4.0 Network under the UAE Industry 4.0 programme, the Smart Industry Readiness Index, and the Sustainability Assessments initiative.

Earlier the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) has successfully overseen a historic rise in industrial exports from the UAE to foreign markets, which amounted to approximately Dhs120 billion ($32.6 billion) in 2021. This coincided with a major surge in factories commencing production in 2021, with 220 new facilities going into service. Also, the National In-Country Value (ICV) Programme, launched to redirect spending by public entities and major companies under its umbrella to the UAE economy, has succeeded in circulating Dhs41.4 billion ($11.5 billion) back into the local market, further promoting local companies.

Collectively, these factors have helped the UAE achieve a quantum leap in the Competitive Industrial Performance Index issued annually by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), rising five places globally from 35th to 30th in 2021.

MoIAT has been responsible for implementing the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology since its launch by the UAE government in Q1 2021. The results confirm major advances in the national industrial sector, especially in terms of productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. This has been attained through accelerating its transformation by integrating advanced technologies and providing financial incentives and solutions through the Emirates Development Bank (EDB), the strategy’s financial enabler, alongside other facilities and initiatives.

Dr Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, said, “In line with the leadership’s directives, MoIAT has achieved several outstanding results within one year of its establishment, which supported the growth of the UAE’s industrial sector by contributing to its capabilities, competitiveness, and attractiveness.” Dr Al Jaber added that the results observed in 2021 reflect the UAE industrial sector’s quantum leap in exports, which totaled around Dhs120 billion - a historic milestone for the industrial sector. This overlapped with the UAE advancing five ranks globally in UNIDO’s 2021 Competitive Industrial Performance Index.