Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and AI university boost UAE’s industrial capacity in 4IR

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2021: The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), in collaboration with Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), has concluded a new advanced workshop designed to enhance the nation’s industrial capacity in Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies.

The course, Industry 4.0 and AI for Industrial Leaders, aims to develop knowledge and skills around the incredible power of AI in smart manufacturing and how it helps the implementation of the UAE’s industrial strategy. The program’s developers aim to raise awareness on Industry 4.0’s core elements, concepts, trends and values.

The key objectives of the program are to help participants gain an understanding of I4.0 and the role of AI in industry; to position I4.0 and AI in the UAE Vision 2071 from a business leadership perspective; to acquire the necessary knowledge and methods to incorporate I4.0 in strategy development; and to build a long-term productive relationship with industry leaders and business owners.

Spanning three days, the virtual workshops included the study of successful case studies applied in the UAE, and ways to educate on the basic elements of AI, its trends, and its impact. Moreover, it emphasized the role of advanced technology in the industrial sector through the Industry 4.0 program launched by MoIAT as part of Projects of the 50, which is designed to stimulate the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution solutions in the UAE industrial sector.

Mohammed Al-Qasim, Director of Science and Technology Adoption and Development at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said: “It is our mandate to help companies in the industrial sector innovate and adopt advanced technology solutions, in collaboration with strategic partners such as the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.

Mohammed Al-Qasim continued: “The workshop is aligned with the ministry’s goals of building an active economy, achieving digital, technical and scientific excellence, and positioning the UAE as a hub for talents and investments. It will play a crucial role in sharpening capabilities in the industrial sector and honing the skills of leaders in both public- and private-sector entities.”

The workshop has been designed to help achieve the objectives of UAE Industry 4.0, which aims to raise the level of industrial productivity in the UAE by 30% and add AED25 billion to the national economy over the next 10 years, enhancing the country’s global competitiveness.

MBZUAI President, Professor Eric Xing, commented: “The big picture is that implementation of AI systems promises to improve the quality of industrial inputs and increase regional and international competitiveness. There is massive capacity for the impact of machine learning in the space of intelligence manufacturing as well–as systems get smarter, waste can be reduced, and smart human decisions can be supplemented with big data.

“Workshops such as this help put governmental and industrial decision makers in direct contact with global experts who can help illuminate how AI can be a competitive advantage, and they can help kick off the kind of peer communities needed to make implementation of AI a sustainable force for the country’s continued progress.”

Participants in the workshop included leaders involved in various industry verticals and leaders looking to target AI product development, service delivery, policymaking, or potential industries. Leaders came from areas most likely to be impacted from AI, including manufacturing and industry executives and leaders, manufacturing business owners, and digital transformation leaders in industry.

Two faculty members from MBZUAI led the sessions: Associate Professor of Machine Learning, Dr. Martin Takac, and Assistant Professor of Computer Vision, Dr. Mohammad Yaqub. Keynote speakers included the Head of Technology Adoption at the Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology, Tariq AlHashmi; the director of the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office, Saqr Binghalib; and the Director of MBZUAI Professional Services, Dr. Ahmed Dabbagh.

Industrial trainers included the Head of XR Healthcare and the Munfarid President – VRAR Association MENA, Dr. Sana Farid; the Head of AI and Smart Data at Etisalat, Dr. Abdel Kader Es Slami; and The Founder and CEO Immensa Additive Manufacturing, Fahmi Al Shawwa. Guest speakers included the The EVP of Technology & Advanced Materials, Dr. Abdelqader Abusafieh; IBM Chief Data Scientist Dr. Ahmad El Sayed; and the Head of Digitalisation MENA at DHL, Praveen Sashi.