Dubai: Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory body for Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the integrated free zone technology park, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Intel, one of the world’s largest semiconductor chip makers, to jointly establish a first of a kind lab facility in the Middle East, that will support the development of a smart city centre of excellence and innovation within Dubai Technology Entrepreneurship centre (DTEC), DSOA’s wholly owned technology incubation centre which is expected to be launched soon.
DSOA will be responsible for supporting the lab’s objectives through attracting the local innovation community in the UAE and engaging them to further develop their talents through a range of workshops and training components.
For its part, Intel will be responsible for managing and operating the joint lab facility with a number of full-time employees. Intel will also provide all hardware, software and computing equipment and technology required for operating the joint lab. Additionally, Intel will be showcasing demos of relevant internet of Things (IoT) technologies for both internal lab purposes and external visitor viewing purposes. Furthermore, the chip giant will be responsible for appropriate on-site tests and the development of several IoT platforms.
“We are proud of our collaboration with Intel in developing a joint lab facility that will provide a range of services to support the local innovation community,” said Mohammed Al Zarooni, Vice-Chairman and chief executive officer of DSOA, “The facility — which is the first of its kind in the Middle East — will also function as a platform to run proof concepts of smart city initiatives for any Dubai government entities or private sector organisations. The lab will also play a fundamental role in spreading the know-how and offering hands-on training through Intel’s start-up kits that will be demonstrated to school and university students alike”.
