Recently, His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, presided over a meeting of the board of directors of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). The meeting focused on the council’s plans to launch three new ventures and its ambitious goals for Abu Dhabi and the UAE in the global research and development landscape.
His Highness reaffirmed the importance of implementing plans and initiatives launched by ATRC to advance research and development in innovative technologies and AI solutions. He also emphasized the UAE’s role as an incubator for innovation and encouraged the application of technology-based solutions across critical sectors.
The council’s UAE Research Map was also discussed, with His Highness emphasizing its role in enhancing research cooperation efforts among relevant entities nationwide and supporting UAE National talent and competencies in technological innovation.
Additionally, His Highness stressed the importance of qualifying and preparing UAE National talent in STEM-based fields, citing the significance of these vital disciplines in enhancing the UAE’s research landscape and developing advanced innovations to positively impact key sectors.
ATRC is executing its mandate to shape Abu Dhabi’s R&D ecosystem and promote higher education and careers in STEM, in line with the UAE Centennial Plan 2071. The council discussed the progress toward shaping an innovative R&D ecosystem, including the preparation to introduce three innovative ventures to transform data security in the quantum era, smart autonomous mobility, and Agritech with robotic technologies.
The meeting also reviewed the council’s UAE Research Map, highlighting its success in centralizing access to national research resources and fostering collaboration between academia and the public and private sectors.
ATRC has attracted proposals from nations to access the council’s $200million ATRC Global Tech R&D Fund and is accelerating the integration of the UAE’s Falcon large language model (LLM) into local and global technological infrastructure and government services.
The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), ATRC’s applied research pillar, also excels in alignment with national priorities. Its latest Falcon large language model (LLM) was independently verified by the global LLM leaderboard, Hugging Face, and has witnessed 85,000 downloads since its launch in May 2024.
The meeting was attended by board members including His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the President’s Office for Strategic Affairs within the Presidential Court; and other distinguished members, reflecting the council’s commitment to advancing research and development in the UAE.
In conclusion, ATRC’s efforts to revolutionize research and development in the UAE are instrumental in positioning the country as a global leader in innovation and technology. The commitment to advancing research cooperation, supporting national talent, and launching innovative ventures demonstrates the council’s dedication to shaping an innovative R&D ecosystem and contributing to the UAE’s long-term socio-economic development.