Strata to supply PPE to Japan as it deepens push into health tech MANUFACTURING
Strata, Mubadala Investment Company’s aerospace manufacturing unit, agreed to supply personal protective equipment to Japan’s Tokushima prefecture as part of its push to export healthcare products.
The two parties will explore potential opportunities in technological innovation and research and development, Strata said yesterday.
The agreement also covers opportunities to supply medical equipment and PPE to municipalities and government-related organisations within other Japanese prefectures.
“Since the establishment of our N95 production line, Strata,
in line with the UAE’s international humanitarian efforts, has endeavoured to support the global fight against the pandemic by providing PPE where it is needed most,” said chief executive Ismail Abdulla.
“In addition to furthering this patriotic and humanitarian commitment to export PPE products that are ‘Made with Pride in the UAE’ around the world, this landmark memorandum of understanding also facilitates wider collaborations in mutual interests [such as] technology innovation across numerous industry verticals.”
Last year, the aerospace company outlined its plans to diversify into the health technology sector as the Covid-19 pandemic fired up demand for medical equipment.
Strata began producing N95 masks in partnership with Honeywell last May to satisfy local demand before seeking export markets.
The company’s pivot to HealthTech is also in line with the UAE’s ambitions to localise high-tech manufacturing capabilities.
Strata will export PPE to Tokushima Prefecture, on the Japanese island of Shikoku, which is home to more than half a million people.
“Our co-operative agreement with Strata Manufacturing will help to build a stable supply chain of PPE products and essential medical supplies for our medical system within Tokushima Prefecture,” said Tokushima governor Kamon Iizumi.
“The co-operation will also extend its efforts to ensure that other municipalities, government and other related organisations are supplied with medical supplies.”
Strata’s production line in Al Ain has supplied the Middle East, the US and the UK with N95 masks and other medical equipment.
The plant produced its millionth N95 mask in September 2020.
The collaboration with Honeywell continues to provide critical PPE for the UAE’s frontline health workers while enabling the country to become an international exporter of respirator masks amid the global health crisis.
Operated by a combined Honeywell and Strata workforce of 70 high-skilled production workers, the dedicated PPE manufacturing line is now operating at full capacity and is on track to reach an annual production target of more than 30 million masks.
Strata is seeking work packages in the UAE and abroad that will allow it to produce satellite parts as it looks to diversify at a time of uncertainty for global aviation owing to the pandemic.
The Mubadala unit is the region’s biggest producer of advanced composite aircraft parts and one of the anchors of Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification efforts.
Set up a decade ago to position the UAE in the global aerospace supply chain, the company has billion-dollar contracts with Boeing, Airbus, Italy’s Leonardo and Switzerland’s Pilatus Aircraft.