The UAE is a nation built on innovation. Less than 50 years have passed since the seven Emirates united, yet our young country has succeeded in establishing itself as an international hub for business and culture. How? By continuously pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
At Expo 2020 Dubai, we understand that this pioneering spirit is both the driver of the UAE’s historic achievements and the path to future opportunities.
In line with the UAE’s national agenda and the Eight Principles of Dubai, we are working to bring together the latest innovations from around the world, and support those whose ingenuity is shaping a brighter tomorrow.
As part of UAE Innovation Month, people, companies and government entities from across the Emirates are working to strengthen our country’s status as a global pioneer for technology advancement. Expo 2020 is among them, but not only for this month. As our theme suggests, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, we are collaborating with our partners, participants and other stakeholders, to contribute to this national vision by showcasing and driving innovation on the journey to 2020 and beyond.
By bringing together millions of people to share ideas and drive progress, Expo 2020 Dubai can help unlock a future of opportunity for all
We are working with the best minds from across the globe – supporting research and development, and deploying the smartest systems at scale – to bring to life innovative future technologies. Through a proactive, collaborative approach, we aim to ‘wow’ the world when Expo opens its gates in less than two years’ time.
We are not waiting until 2020 to get started. From the very beginning, we have embraced innovation in all its forms, supporting change-makers on the journey to Expo 2020 and working collaboratively with our partners to create benefits that will last for generations to come.
One critical innovation initiative is Expo Live – Expo 2020 Dubai’s innovation and partnership programme and has an allocation of $100m to provide much-needed funding, guidance and exposure to dozens of local and international innovators whose creative solutions have the potential to improve lives, preserve the planet or both.
Expo Live’s Innovation Impact Grant Programme is already backing a number of UAE-based innovations, ranging from a mobile app that helps blue-collar workers to improve their reading and writing skills, to a tele-medicine programme that is helping radiologists in Ethiopia to train others.
The team is also contributing to several youth-led success stories in the UAE through its University Innovation Programme. From a mentorship initiative that is helping school students to develop their emotional intelligence and soft skills, to an app that is reducing traffic congestion by allowing users to share cars and taxis, several student teams have already brought their innovations to market, turning their ideas into reality with Expo Live’s support.
Helping today’s innovators to shape a better future is vital, but it is equally important to prepare our children for the future we create. This is the role of Expo’s school-focused activities, with a range of initiatives and resources designed to engage and inspire young people.
For example, we host regular workshops to introduce school students from across the UAE to the basics of coding in a fun environment. The programme encourages school students to consider the types of skills that will be required for future jobs, while exploring possible solutions to 21st century challenges that their generation will need to overcome.
We also understand that innovation relies on collaboration, which is why we are working side by side with our partners to help advance cutting-edge technologies with the potential to transform our future. Together with Siemens and DEWA, for example, Expo has helped to establish the first ever solar-driven hydrogen electrolysis facility in our region, which was announced earlier last month.
Green hydrogen generated by the facility will power fuel-cell vehicles travelling between the Expo 2020 site and Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park during the six months of the event, demonstrating one of the many possible uses of this clean energy source.
Expo 2020 was the first commercial customer in the Middle East to access 5G services thanks to our partnership with Etisalat.
Expo will also show how smart infrastructure can shape future cities. Thanks to our partnership with Siemens, for example, 137 structures across the Expo site will be fitted with smart building technologies, allowing us to monitor and control their functions while maximising energy efficiency, safety, security and visitor comfort.
Our partnerships with industry leaders such as Emirates NBD and Mastercard, meanwhile, will allow us to reimagine the payment experience for Expo visitors. Not only are we collaborating to deliver fast, secure and hassle-free payment processes, but Mastercard’s latest innovations will enable guests to explore new contactless technologies, potentially ranging from virtual reality (VR) to biometrics and voice shopping.
Through a proactive, collaborative approach, we aim to ‘wow’ the world when Expo opens its gates in less than two years’ time
In addition, we are working closely with a range of other technology partners including Accenture, Cisco, SAP and DarkMatter to deliver an unforgettable visitor experience for millions of people. Together, we have the potential to make a significant and lasting contribution to Expo’s long-term impact in the UAE and beyond.
While Expo 2020 Dubai offers a chance to facilitate UAE-based innovation, it is also a golden opportunity to gather the international community in one place to share new ideas and work together to solve global challenges.
With 190 participating countries already confirmed, Expo 2020 will feature diverse technologies from every corner of the planet. From a Czech system capable of transforming desert sand into fertile land, to a Dutch biotope designed to unite water, energy and food, Expo 2020 will allow millions of visitors to experience – and contribute to – a world of innovation in a single location.
Expo is committed to helping the UAE become one of the most innovative countries in the world by the time of its Golden Jubilee, which will coincide with the conclusion of the event. Expo 2020 represents an unrivalled opportunity to inspire and support the next generation of innovators, catalysing the ideas and technologies that will underpin the next 50 years of national progress.
Ultimately, innovation is the key to a brighter tomorrow. By bringing together millions of people to share ideas and drive progress, Expo 2020 Dubai can help unlock a future of opportunity for all.
Mohammed Alhashmi, CTO – Innovation and Future Technology, Expo 2020 Dubai
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