UAE’s MoIAT announces 13 projects under Technology Transformation Program

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) has launched the first 13 of 1,000 technology projects that will be implemented under the recently announced Technology Transformation Program. The new projects, revealed at ADIPEC 2022, are being executed by major national and international champions, including e&, Cisco, PTC, Oryx Data, and One Moto.

Launched in October by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Technology Transformation Program aims to boost the export of technological products by around Dhs15bn a year.

Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, said: “The projects announced mark the first step in the Technology Transformation Program, which will support our national priorities and the development of key sectors in the coming decades. The launch of this programme represents the beginning of a new phase of national competitiveness and sustainable industrial growth in the UAE, enabled and driven by R&D and advanced technology.”

She added: “At the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, we have a clear roadmap for the next 10 years. It is a decade in which the UAE will further enhance its position as a global hub for science, technology, and innovation, in line with our leadership’s vision. Our partners are key to this journey and we are committed to exploring collaborations with all companies that seek to join the UAE in its bold technological and industrial transformation.”

The new projects

By leveraging advanced technologies and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) solutions offered as part of the projects, businesses will be able to significantly reduce energy consumption and wastage, enhance efficiency, and increase productivity as well as competitiveness in global markets.

Businesses in the UAE can apply through MoIAT to participate in and benefit from the projects.

Cisco’s project, for example, is currently supporting three local companies – Emirates Macaroni Factory, National Paints and Falconpack – in their digital transformation journeys.

Under its Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) programme, Cisco will focus on the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) to provide companies with enhanced security, visibility, and connectivity.

The projects are also focusing on leveraging IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things). PTC is offering 25 companies free access to its IIoT platform, ThingWorx, which will enable companies to increase their manufacturing efficiency by ensuring asset optimisation, workforce productivity, quality improvement, and speed to industrialisation. The platform can increase throughput by up to 20 percent, reduce unplanned downtime by up to 30 percent, and reduce energy consumption by up to 13 percent, according to PTC.

Additionally, e& is building a platform for industry 4.0 technologies. The company is deploying 4IR proof of concept projects within the manufacturing sector, working alongside companies to support the adoption of advanced technologies.

Meanwhile, Oryx Data Incubator, a start-up specialising in real-time streaming and IIoT solutions, is working with Ittihad Paper Mill and Strata to enhance operations. This project will help to reduce energy consumption by 10 per cent and will lead to 100 percent machine availability along with the prediction of 93 per cent of potential failures.

Finally, a global mobility company, One Moto, is working on a project to build the UAEs first electric vehicle assembly, and eventually manufacturing, facility in Dubai as part of its mission to electrify all last-mile vehicles in the UAE by 2024.

The firm has set up its global HQ in DIFC and plans to target 100 cities by 2024.