Officials during a virtual meeting to sign the memorandum of understanding.

The Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Intel, aiming for enhanced collaboration to implement initiatives and projects in the field of innovation and future technologies in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.

The MoU will also pave the way for exchanging knowledge, expertise, and studies to support the activities of the “Sharjah Open Innovation Lab” (SoiLAB) using the latest high-impact artificial intelligence technologies and accelerators. The cooperation will play an important role in supporting the efforts of the park in positioning Sharjah as a regional and global centre for research and innovation.

Intel will strengthen its cooperation with Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park by organising and conducting workshops in various fields related to information technology, especially in education, video analytics, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence; and exchanging best practices and solutions to support the activities of the park and the companies working through the Intel Innovation Center in Dubai.

The aspects of cooperation will also include increasing the capacity to develop the usage of information technology, in addition to working jointly to develop a local system of projects to demonstrate concepts of Internet of Things technologies on the sites under the umbrella of Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park.

The MoU was signed by Hussain Mohamed Al Mahmoudi, CEO Sharjah Research Technology, and Innovation Park and Eng. Taha Khalifa CCG Sales Director EMEA Territory from Intel.

On this occasion, Hussain Mohamed Al Mahmoudi expressed his happiness to work closely with Intel and said, “This cooperation reflects the vision of the complex and its strategy by introducing all kinds of future technologies. As a leading centre for technology and innovation, our mission is to enhance efforts toward investing in every possible way to convert the park into a regional centre for future techs.

This agreement represents a fruitful cooperation between the private and government sectors that we seek to devote through a package of initiatives and actions to transfer and localise technology and promoting a knowledge-based economy in UAE and Sharjah.”

Eng. Taha Khalifa commented, “We are excited to announce this MOU with SRTIP, Intel technologies will be supporting new initiatives and projects in the field of IOT and AI. We are looking forward for implementing new initiatives with SRTIP in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. We will be also working on exchanging knowledge, experiences, case studies and match-making with the Intel ecosystem to accelerate the deployment of high-impact AI/Analytics use cases at SRTIP”

The Sharjah Research Technology, and Innovation Park strives to attract leading international tech companies to work in an exciting environment through a package of facilities as it works to provide integrated facilities to create an environment that supports research and practical experiences, as well as providing great incentives for investors, to enable them to adapt and compete, and penetrate global markets.

Menwhile, following the recent launch of the Global and virtual initiative, the Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator (SAIA), the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) has announce the launch of the Venture Scaling Programme to support global startups in growth stage to scale their technologies across the region, and benefit from a prize pool worth $450,000.

The Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator is focused on supporting talented ventures to grow in the Mena region and access new business opportunities, business development, investor relations.

8 startups will be selected to participate in the virtual accelerator and will benefit from local incubation support and venture scaling beyond the accelerator programme. In addition, the most innovative winner startup will win the grand prize worth $100,000.

Startups operating in Advanced Industries, Manufacturing Tech, Smart Cities, Sustainable Design, Construction Tech, Smart Materials, Drone and Robotics, Artificial Intelligence are eligible to apply to the SAIA programme.

“The programme is in response to the global challenges the world is facing. The search will be online so talented companies all over the world will have a chance to apply and join the programme,” said Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTI Park.

“We launched the unique accelerator on March 20 and the call for startups to apply will be until June 25. We are targeting companies that are disruptive and are in Advanced Industries that want to access the Mena market. These startups will disrupt the construction, manufacturing and production industries in the region,” he added.

Al Mahmoudi underlined: “We would like to show the world that there is so much demand about this competition. This programme also cements our commitment to position Sharjah to lead at the forefront of advanced manufacturing and establish its position as a key manufacturing hub while up-skilling the workforce of Sharjah and beyond.