Abu Dhabi gets Arab world’s first electromagnetic compatibility labs

Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), announced that their Directed Energy Research Centre (DERC) has unveiled the Electromagnetic Compatibility Laboratories (EMC).

“The launch of these labs, which are the first and largest in the Arab world, is aligned with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technologies (MoIAT) ‘Operation 300bn’ which aims to advance the industrial sector,” said Faisal Al Bannai, secretary general of ATRC. “By opening these unique laboratories we want to support innovators from prototype to a qualified system.”

#TII’s Directed Energy Research Centre (DERC) has unveiled its Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) laboratories facility in Abu Dhabi, housed in a first of its kind facility in the Arab World. https://t.co/vhVpOUEkYc pic.twitter.com/qQdMHNZmH6

— Technology Innovation Institute (@TIIuae) May 3, 2021

The facility includes three laboratories: an EMC semi-anechoic chamber, a pulsed power laboratory, and a low-noise emanation laboratory.

Electromagnetic compatibility allows for many electronic devices within a particular range to operate without interference, known as ‘electromagnetic interference’ (EMI).

The laboratory supports various equipment from medical devices to IT equipment to even drones and autonomous cars. It will allow for these technologies to be tested against electromagnetic compatibility.

Dr Chaouki Kasmi, Researcher at DERC, said, “They will help in pre-qualification of electronics against Electromagnetic Compatibility and Interference Standards as well as hardening of critical infrastructures to operate safely in harsh environments.”

There is growing relevance to the advancement of technology to meet a global EMC standard which manufacturers have to take responsibility for. “So EMC compatibility must be achieved right from the start, which underscores the importance of the launch of our labs,” said Dr Kasmi.

This comes just months after the TII announced that they would be building the first quantum computer.

Read: Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute to build UAE’s first quantum computer

Under the TII, the Direct Energy Research centre is pioneering research in high energy physics and is one of seven other research facilities. Other research facilities include the Quantum Research Center, Cryptography research centre, and Digital Security Research Center.