UAE unveils ‘District 4.0’ to drive industrial innovation

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) to establish the UAE’s second Industry 4.0 Enablement Center within UAEU’s District 4.0, as part of the country’s Technology Transformation Program.

The new center will promote Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) applications, sustainability best practices, and stimulate technology adoption and development across the manufacturing value chain. It will include an area to demonstrate cutting-edge technologies, a space for collaboration, as well as a testing and innovation lab – all to build in-country 4IR capabilities, to promote co-development and testing of technologies and processes, and to support the commercialisation and upscaling of new 4IR technologies.

Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, and Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to the President of the UAE and Chancellor of United Arab Emirates University witnessed the signing of the MoU. Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology signed the MoU alongside Dr Ghaleb Al Breiki, Acting Vice-Chancellor, United Arab Emirates University, on the sidelines of the World Government Summit taking place in Dubai.

Al Amiri said: “This new center, launched as part of the Technology Transformation Program, will provide the industrial sector with a platform to support R&D, showcase and pilot technologies, applications, and use-cases with industry and technology partners. The center will also support the manufacturing sector to embrace more sustainable operating models to boost efficiency and drive industrial growth with reduced emissions, to achieve the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 target”

“This MoU reflects MoIAT’s commitment to engaging the academic and R&D sectors and facilitating platforms and conversations to support industrial facilities to accelerate their digital transformation, with sustainability at the core of this transformation. These efforts are part of Operation 300 Billion, a key part of which is promoting the adoption of advanced technologies in industry to enhance productivity, efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness.”

Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh said: “We thank the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Sarah Bint Youssef Al Amiri for their confidence in the UAE University. The university will continue its efforts to achieve the vision our country’s leadership, supporting the nation to keep pace with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the development of artificial intelligence. We will also strengthen our scientific research as a core pillar of national development. We will also continue offering programs that keep pace with the latest scientific technologies in an effort to prepare a generation of highly qualified, skilled graduates.”

He added: “This work will enable the university to contribute significantly to the country’s national agenda over the next 50 years. The new center will contribute to the sustainability of scientific research, the integration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the curriculum, and the creation of a knowledge-based society and economy in the UAE.”

Capacity Building: In terms of capacity building, the District 4.0 Enablement Center will build capabilities through targeted training programs and apprenticeships. The center will educate industrial stakeholders on areas such as sustainability, smart digital factories, cognitive AI and robotics, fabrication, the circular economy, cloud and edge computing, cybersecurity and blockchain among other topics. The training will be delivered by experts from UAEU in collaboration with industry partners.

Similarly, it will provide expertise, space and support for the co-creation, piloting and prototyping of new technologies for industry, startups, academia, think-tanks, and government entities.

The enablement center will provide a platform to showcase cutting-edge technology, sustainable solutions, products and applications, as well as exchange experiences. This will include technology demos for stakeholders and factory visits to local and international lighthouses and other adopters of 4IR applications.

It will also provide a risk-free and open-access environment to enable industrial stakeholders to pilot initiatives, explore and experiment with Industry 4.0 technologies and co-develop innovative solutions with partners.