UAE signs accords to launch 4th industrial revolution programme

UAE's Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with 12 industrial entities and the Departments of Economic Development of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ajman to kick-start the newlyannounced Fourth Industrial Revolution Programme, known as "UAE Industry 4.0".

Launched as part of Projects of the 50 earlier this month, "UAE Industry 4.0" will accelerate the integration of 4IR solutions and applications across the UAE's industrial sector, enhancing UAE's overall industrial competitiveness, driving down costs, increasing productivity and efficiency, enhancing quality, improving safety and creating new jobs. The programme aims to increase industrial productivity by 30 per cent and add Dh25 billion to the national GDP.

"In line with our leadership's vision, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology focuses on increasing the industrial sector's contribution to the national GDP, enabling economic diversification and transforming to a knowledge-based economy, said Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister for Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC CEO.

The initiative includes the establishment of the 'Champions 4.0 Network' , in which leading local and international companies will unite to share best-practice in the deployment of 4IR technologies across the UAE's industrial sector. Participating entities include the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), EDGE,

Honeywell, Unilever, Ericsson, Schneider Electric, Emirates Global Aluminium, Microsoft, CISCO, SAP, AVEVA and Siemens. The betwork will then support the creation of 100 "lighthouses", or WEF-categorized I4.0 organisations, by 2031, while also cultivating the optimum business environment to establish or attract 500 tech companies by the same year. These anchor companies will help drive productivity, innovation and efficiency in their respective sectors. Another key pillar of the network, is a programme that will identify, assess and then assist 200 companies ripe for Industry 4.0 transformation.

"UAE boasts a vibrant industrial sector, one that has made a significant contribution to our rapid economic development. And with the collaboration between our public, private and academic sectors, we have fostered an enabling industrial ecosystem" said Al Jaber. "UAE Industry 4.0 will build on these competencies to accelerate the process of economic diversification already underway," he added.

The first-of-its-kind programme in the Middle East will focus on two parallel tracks: building a foundation for technology within existing industries in the UAE and fostering the development of new, technology-intensive industries.

Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology, said: "UAE Industry 4.0 is the cornerstone, and the first step, on which we seek to advance the national industrial sector and enable comprehensive and sustainable economic growth." "From the onset, UAE Industry 4.0 was designed to build on our existing strengths including the UAE's I4.0 regulations and agile policy development framework, diverse anchor industries and a world-class ICT infrastructure, while leveraging partnerships from across sectors and industries to capture the promise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, " said Al Amiri.

"As such, the inclusive and partner-based programme is designed to create initiatives that raise awareness, encourage knowledge sharing and information, boost talent and skillset development and, importantly, offer incentives and access to financing through relevant entities such as the AED5bn recently allocated by the Emirates Development Bank for advanced technology," she added.

Al Amiri added, "The agreements signed today with our economic development partners in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ajman, will support the promotion of 4IR solutions across the UAE's industrial sector."

She went on to say, "Alongside our partners from the DEDs, through creating the Champions 4.0 Network we aim to support emerging, small and medium-sized companies in adopting advanced technology. Through a series of activities and workshops our champions will showcase successful uses and best practices of 4IR and play a pivotal role in driving the technological transformation of the national industrial sector."

"Ultimately," Al Amiri concluded, "by onboarding our economic development partners and champions of industry today, we are laying the groundwork to facilitate an enabling industrial ecosystem which can boost the 4IR capabilities that will be critical to the sustainable socio-economic development of our country."