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Dubai Future Accelerators launches 2nd cycle with 11 new global challenges in vital sectors for innovative enterprises

January 2, 2017

His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation, emphasized that a positive innovative approach to address future challenges, is the most important learning from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

HE said that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed believes that the future does not wait for people, and the race of foreseeing the future is a challenge, where winning is for the stronger and more prepared ones. Under the directives of His Highness, Dubai Future Accelerators has become a platform to anticipate and create opportunities and solutions ahead of time. It serves as a scientific path to meet the challenges facing human societies, and convert them to opportunities for the better future for the coming generations.

HE added: “Coinciding with the success of the first cycle of the program that attracted some of the world’s leading innovative companies and achieved cooperation with them to develop innovations for the future, Dubai Future Accelerators has now been expanded with its second cycle. It will harness a wider range of modern technology and innovation to find effective solutions to the challenges in key sectors for achieving the prosperity of the society. We seek to build partnerships between government and private sector companies globally that will help create well-developed technological models that lay strong foundations for the future of the UAE as a hub for innovative ideas.”

His Excellency announced that submissions for the second cycle are open from today. “The success achieved by the first Dubai Future Accelerators emphasised the competency of the UAE and Dubai to play a pivotal role in exploring and shaping the future of vital sectors by utilizing modern technology under the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which can bring radical and positive change for the future.”

There are 11 challenges cover vital sectors in the second cycle of the Dubai future Accelerators program, participated by 11 entities from government and private sectors, as follows:

Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)…. Mobility in the future:

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said: “Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA) encourages commuters to use public transport services, and provides enablers supporting this direction, such as technology solutions and transport policies.

Increasing the utilization of public transport helps reduce traffic congestion as well as carbon footprint. In addition, RTA provides smart solutions that support Dubai’s vision of being the smartest city in the world by 2021. Through the second round of Dubai Future Accelerators, RTA aims to launch innovative solutions for payment and ticketing. Moreover, RTA aims to study the readiness of the public to futuristic transport modes such as autonomous vehicles.”

Dubai Police: Air Police:

Major General Dr. Abdul Quddos Abdul Razzaq Al Obaidly, Assistant Commandant for Quality & Excellence Affairs at Dubai Police, assured that Dubai Police are ready to participate in the second cycle of the Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA).
Maj. Gen. Al Obaidly said the late Commander-in-Chief Lt. General Khamis Mattar Al Muzainah had already taken the first step towards future policing when he signed an MoU with and an international company to enhance the cooperation and coordination. Adding that the force is ready to launch the next phase of its future policing projects that aim to employ artificial intelligence technology to prevent and solve cybercrimes faster than conventional systems. “The projects also utilise latest technologies such as facial recognition to identify wanted individuals based on current and past data,” he added.

Al Obaidly explained that Dubai Police programmes affirm the soundness of the strategic approach taken by Dubai Police General HQ in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship as key drivers of the future policing. He stressed that force’s projects form a shortcut to the knowledge-based security by deploying the best ideas and innovations, which will enhance the UAE’s competitiveness and leadership in the safety and security sector.

Al Obaidly said accelerating the future is an ongoing process that involves exploiting opportunities of the future and trying to overcome its challenges.

Dubai Municipality: Environment friendly solutions:

HE Engineer Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, confirmed the Municipality’s commitment to promoting and strengthening the identity of Dubai in the field of creativity and innovation locally, regionally and globally. The entity will seek ways to strengthen effective cooperation with its partners in the march of continuous successes. Dubai Municipality seeks to support the development of green building solutions and increase its efficiency by 50%, and in achieving 25% of construction in Dubai using 3D printing. In addition to promoting the use of environment-friendly materials. It will also work to achieving 100% goals in the field of food quality covering all imported products before the enter the nation, and also reducing general waste by 75%.

DHA: Self- Management System for Patients:

His Excellency Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority confirmed that the Dubai future accelerators programme, which was launched, by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has reshaped the sustainability and developmental map in the world.

Al Qatami added that UAE and Dubai are ranked among pioneer countries with regard to growth, development and future foresight. DHA has all the enablers to keep up with the growth of the health sector in line with Dubai’s ambitious strategy and investment opportunities that can turn ideas into unique innovations that will contribute to the society.

He added that DHA will focus on qualitative outcomes in the second phase of the Dubai Future Accelerators Programme which targets having a comprehensive and exceptional model for patients and different types of customers of DHA. The aim is to ensure that each patient has the ability to take a decision on his health and benefit from healthy services using latest digital technologies that are monitored by qualified doctors and available anytime and anywhere. This allows us to reach out easily to patients according to their convenience, which makes it much better for patients and leads to improved patient outcomes.

He added that this programme focusses on a happier community, which is aligned with DHA’s strategic vision.

Knowledge and Human Development Authority: 21st Century Skills:

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said, “Dubai Future Accelerators has provided an important platform to boost innovation and create a futuristic city where new ideas are encouraged. With the launch of the second cycle of the program, we will witness further innovative ideas that can help solve future challenges and potentially have a significant impact on the economy and society. Dubai’s education landscape is one of the most diverse in the world and the start-ups working at DFA will benefit from a unique opportunity where they can explore new ideas in a global setting. Together with our partners, we hope to increase learning effectiveness and bring the future forward.”

KHDA plans to develop an innovative evaluation system based on 21st century skills whereby outstanding students will be presented electronic certificates of appreciation to honor their achievements in Arabic language and in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It will also focus on the development of a social education model to ensure the welfare and happiness of the students. The new initiative will focus on the use of innovative engineering data to support the institutions involved in the provision of educational services.

Dubai Holding – Smart technology in project management:

“As a founding partner of Dubai Future Accelerators, Dubai Holding is committed to supporting the vision of our country’s leadership in making the UAE one of the world’s most competitive and forward-looking economies. We are very pleased with the positive outcomes we have achieved during the 12 weeks of Cycle 1.

Spanning the fields of blockchain technology, digital personalisation, robotics and virtual reality, we have gained direct access to some of the most promising solutions to the challenges faced today. It is encouraging to see business ideas progress from pilot phase to delivering tangible, impactful business plans, a demonstration of the solid platform we have created through the Dubai Future Accelerators.”

Bin Byat added: “Dubai Holding is a catalyst in the UAE’s drive towards economic diversification, and we look forward to expanding and building on these concepts and disruptive technologies during Cycle 2.”

As part of the second cycle, Dubai Holding will focus on the development of new methods, intelligent technologies and innovative business models across all its business segments, and operations, so that it can anticipate the current and future needs of its customers, employees, and its partners, proactively and independently, to improve the performance of the sectors.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority: Changing traditional method of operations

His Excellency Saeed Al-Tayer, Managing Director & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), said that In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is working to enhance the Dubai Future Agenda strategy, to establish the biggest Government Accelerators in the world.

Our mission is to create happiness by embracing technology innovation to make Dubai the most efficient, seamless, safe and impactful experience for residents and visitors.

We work to achieve the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to be ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in order to raise the readiness of the Government to all new and rapid future changes.
“We implement initiatives, strategies and new technologies enabling us to become a pioneering energy utility that leverage on disruptive technologies to generate, transmit and distribute world -class electricity and water services, with a focus on the quality of life for citizens and residents and the sustainability of our resources” he continues.

“DEWA is working to achieve the goals of Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to diversify the energy mix, so that clean energy will generate 7% of Dubai’s total power output by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050. This will make Dubai a global centre for clean energy and green economy, which will also contribute to making Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050.”
He added: “This supports our strategic vision, including the establishment of smart electricity and water networks. We conduct research to develop models, and smart grid technologies and systems, in addition to monitoring energy consumption trends. Smart grids also support our target to reduce energy consumption by 30% by 2030.

To achieve these goals we adopt the best international practices in innovation, Research and Development (R&D), and our research areas include operating systems, mobile computing , cloud computing virtualisation, distribution systems, software engineering, Internet of Things (IoT), robotic technologies, Big and Open Data, studying customer behavior, renewable energy sources, storage techniques, electric vehicle infrastructure, and 3D printing research. DEWA also makes use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to assist in energy and water services.”

Etisalat Digital: Communication technologies to serve humans and the preservation of health:

H.E Engineer Saleh Alabdooli, Group CEO of Etisalat, said: ““Etisalat Digital’s partnership with Dubai Future Accelerator is a commitment to the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to transform the UAE into the global capital for creating technology advancements that define the future of humanity.
Etisalat Digital aims at partnering with global startups to solve critical business challenges within different segments, such as health, education, smart cities and others.

Our first challenge will address the significant health segment, through which we aim to reduce Emergency Room visits by patients in the UAE by 30%, over the next ten years. Startups should tackle this challenge by leveraging predictive healthcare management solutions to address life-threatening situations linked to chronic diseases and by utilizing technologies such as IoT, wearables, telemedicine, cloud, artificial intelligence, big data & analytics.

We are looking forward to working with these bright minds, and we will be supporting them through all our platforms, and resources to enable them to achieve the targeted goals.”

Department of Economic Development: Futuristic Services:

HE Sami Al Qamzi, Director General, Department of Economic Development of Dubai (DED), said: “Dubai has emerged as a major player in the world economy and its role in the global market place cannot be overstated. The Emirate is consistently seeking to strengthen its position as a global business hub and one of the top five international centers for trade, transport, finance and tourism.

The Future Accelerators program is one of the vehicles that Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED) is using to contribute to the Emirate’s transition into a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation. DED’s accelerators aim to achieve quantitative and qualitative improvements in the ease of doing business, and harness smart technologies to consolidate government services for the benefit of a happier investor. A number of measures are being introduced to reduce commercial registration and licensing procedures in Dubai by 60% through saving time spent on searching for requirements by 80%, and also by cutting
transaction time in half and human interaction by 90%.”

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du): Digital Techniques for Customer Service:

Osman Sultan, CEO of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du), said: “The UAE leadership has put customer centricity centre stage, envisioning the Emirates as a global benchmark for management practices in the service industry. As du continues to champion public private partnerships by joining hands with government and non-government entities, the second phase of the Dubai Future Accelerators enables us to challenge entrepreneurs and startups in contributing to innovation and the customer service legacy, while offering them the backing and support of an established ICT organization,” said Osman Sultan, Chief Executive Officer, du. “As strategic partners of Dubai Smart Platform, one of the main goals of the services and applications that we applied so far and those that we will apply in the future in the smart city, is to enhance the user experience and efficiency of all data and digital transactions across all business sectors, and ensure the community is connected and pampered in all its dimensions.

Throughout this challenge, du endeavors to support the innovative ideas brought forth by industry disruptors and entrepreneurs that will enhance person-to-person and person-to-machine interactions to bring UAE customers a multi-channel experience that surpasses expectations.”

DNRD: Digital transactions and Electronic Gates:

Major General Mohammed Al Marri, Director of DNRD, said: “Launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA), the innovative program by Dubai Future Foundation aiming to establish UAE and Dubai as a global hub for future creation, is a foundation to proactively face development challenges before they arise, invest in opportunities, and create the future.

DFA will contribute effectively in transforming creative ideas to reality in order to achieve the government’s objectives in various sectors. It will provide distinct space for co-working to develop and implement innovative ideas and projects that will benefit all segments of society.

We at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner’s Affairs Dubai (DNRD) exert utmost effort to provide our services within the frames of the latest advanced technology and high quality, facilitate transactions with high accuracy, achieve people’s satisfaction, accelerate change and improve the efficiency of government execution that aligns with Dubai’s vision to build a city of the future and a knowledge-based economy.

DNRD has started the preparations to participate in the future accelerators program since His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, launched DFA initiative that aims to establish an integrated global platform for constructing the future of strategic industries, creating an economic value based on embracing and accelerating businesses and future technological solutions, and attracting world’s best minds to test and apply their innovations in Dubai.

We are proud to be involved in this first of its kind global initiative that has proved its uniqueness since the announcement of Dubai Future Foundation of receiving 2200 applications from 73 companies around the world, within less than a month, to participate in the DFA program launched last July, making it the world’s most attractive accelerators program, and proving the validity of the strategic approach taken by the UAE towards enhancing innovation and supporting entrepreneurship as key drivers of the economy of the future.

We strive, by participating in this program and through our work efforts, to develop a system able to decrease the processing time of passengers’ passports at passport control gates at Dubai international airports, in a way that is quick, safe, efficient and exemplary, as well as to achieve passenger satisfaction and provide distinguished experience at Dubai Airports”

Future Accelerators attracts elite and innovative global companies:

H.E Saif Al Aleeli, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, said: “By combining innovative enterprises and the government sector in Dubai, the second cycle of Dubai Future Accelerators will be a perfect opportunity to find solutions for the challenges that face vital sectors and provide innovative models to upgrade its services. Over 12 weeks, the program will bring together companies and government agencies in Dubai to explore the technologies of the future, and using them find solutions to the challenges facing cities.”

“The Dubai Future Accelerators explores the opportunities offered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We will examine the impact of science and technology to make radical changes through artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, 3D printing, genomics and other technologies.

“The innovative projects and businesses will be selected based on their ability to find solutions for these challenges, and translate them into models and pilot projects to build economic value, enhance investment attractiveness and bring positive change to create a universal model in Dubai that can benefit the rest of
the world.”

The companies and organizations wishing to participate can get more information on: https://dubaifutureaccelerators.com/