Dubai: Thirty companies will work with seven government authorities participating in Dubai Future Accelerators to find solutions for the challenges facing key economic and strategic sectors in 21st century cities in the UAE.
Chosen by Dubai Future Foundation, the companies comprise less than two per cent of 2,274 applicants, submitted from a total of 73 countries.
The Dubai Future Accelerators programme is an initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation.
Finalists will develop solutions in sustainable sectors such as Hyperloop transport, 3D printing, and digital financial transactions.
Following the selection, announced on Sunday, the actual testing stage for the innovative solutions, in cooperation with the relevant authorities, can now begin.
Shortlisted entries
The list of finalists chosen to take part in the first round of the programme includes a selection of the most innovative companies in the world that are currently developing and testing creative ideas and advanced technologies with a future outlook, which offer solutions to the challenges facing key sectors, including health, education, energy and water, transport, infrastructure, security and safety, and technology.
The most prominent names on the list are Hyperloop One, which is developing a 1,200km/h transportation system; Next Future Transportation, specialising in mass-transit solutions and self-driving vehicles; Concensys, the world’s largest software provider for app developers; and Construction Robotics, specialising in construction solutions that increase productivity five-fold.
Identifying challenges
The Dubai Future Accelerators programme comprises three rounds every year. Each round lasts three months, during which the programme works to attract the world’s best emerging companies to find solutions for challenges — as well as ways to capitalise on economic opportunities — it identifies within strategic economic sectors by creating new technologies.
The initiative also provides training programmes for participants to learn about business development and prototyping, as well as to create pilot projects for Dubai. By the end of the training programmes, participants should be able to build a profitable business model, in cooperation with the relevant government entities and global experts.
Mohammad Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs and the Future and vice-chairman and managing director of Dubai Future Foundation, said that the success Dubai has had in pioneering a new generation of business accelerator programmes and the key role that the emirate is playing in shaping the future can be attributed to the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and the close involvement of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Board of Trustees at Dubai Future Foundation.
Al Gergawi said: “These accelerators will now adhere to the government’s agenda and strategies, and serve as a catalyst to research and development within the most strategic sectors, such as education, health, infrastructure, transportation, and energy. They will provide a global platform to develop new and innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing society.”
Some of the 30 finalists
The finalists will develop solutions in such sustainable sectors as Hyperloop transport, 3D printing, and digital financial transactions.
-Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One is working on a high-speed transit system consisting of “capsules” that can travel in a network of depressurised underwater vacuum tunnels, which allows them to travel at speeds as high as 1,200 km/h.
-Next Future Transportation is a Silicon Valley-based company developing a smart transportation system consisting of electrical units able to accommodate up to six passengers, operate independently, and communicate with each other.
-Construction Robotics provides solutions for the construction sector using robotics, 3D printing, and automation systems
-Concensys develops applications for facilitating commercial and financial transactions using Blockchain technology, which help maintain records and data, all the while allowing for a secure exchange of financial assets without the need for a middle man.
-Honeywell is making strides in developing the ‘healthcare at home solutions’ — a system set to allow hospitals and clinics to provide the most advanced possible care for their patients.
