Business
Dubai launches research and development ecosystem to accelerate innovation and future tech
Dubai has launched a new, integrated Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Ecosystem aimed at accelerating innovation, strengthening global partnerships, and reinforcing the emirate’s position as a capital for future economies.
The initiative brings together research, regulation and advanced technology development under a single, unified framework overseen by the Dubai Future Foundation.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), directed the establishment of the Dubai RDI Ecosystem to advance research, development and innovation across Dubai.
Dubai Research, Development and Innovation
Overseen by the Dubai Future Foundation, the Dubai RDI Ecosystem is designed to accelerate Dubai’s innovation agenda and strengthen its role as a global hub for future-focused economies.
Sheikh Hamdan also approved the appointment of Khalifa Al Qama as Chief of Research, Development and Innovation at the Dubai Future Foundation. In this role, Al Qama will lead the new mandate and oversee its implementation across strategic sectors.
The Dubai RDI Ecosystem will serve as a unified platform that brings together existing and future innovation initiatives across the emirate.
It will enable government and private sector entities to develop breakthrough ideas supported by advanced technologies and future-oriented applications.
The framework will steer the work of leading research institutions, including Dubai Future Labs and the MIT Senseable City Lab in Dubai. It will also advance national initiatives such as Dubai Research, Development and Innovation, and the Dubai Robotics and Automation Program.
Regulatory innovation
A key component of the Ecosystem will be regulatory innovation, delivered through Sandbox Dubai in partnership with government entities, legislators and leading international companies.
The Ecosystem will also include the Dubai Research, Development and Innovation Grant Initiative, which aims to empower pioneering projects, foster scientific discovery and accelerate solutions to future challenges.
By integrating research, regulation and innovation under one unified platform, the Dubai RDI Ecosystem will strengthen Dubai’s partnerships with universities, research centres and academic institutions around the world.
