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UAE’s R&D Ecosystem

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R&D Ecosystem

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UAE R&D Ecosystem

Governance Structure

Governance Layers Key Activities Bodies

• Set R&D strategies and priority areas, overall budgetary

1 envelope and funding sources
Policy • Redirect R&D programs in accordance with strategies
& Priority
Setting
s
der
keh ol

• Develop funding programs for R&D

Sta

2 • Allocate funding to programs, projects and institutions

h

performing R&D
wit

Coordination & Fund • Coordinate and enable execution of R&D programs

nt

Allocation • Evaluate and monitor R&D programs performance, and

me

recommend policy enhancements

age
E ng

3 • Operate, manage and maintain R&D facilities

Execution •
•
Manage R&D human capital
Develop and implement R&D projects 20+
• Publish R&D scholarly results and commercialize outcomes Other entities

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 ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY OFFICE

UAE R&D Ecosystem

Emirates Research & Development Council

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Council Chairperson
H.E. Sarah Al Amiri
Minister of State for Advanced Technology
General Secretariat

Federal Government Local Government Academia & Research Institutions Private Sector Science Community
Role in Research
Entities involved in the production of R&D knowledge and Implementers of research and development Investors, enablers and users of Research and development experts and
& Development
capabilities, the use or application of R&D outputs in their activities in the higher education sector and the R&D commercial outputs representatives within the scientific
sectors, as well as those enabling R&D governance through public sector community in the country
funding, coordination, etc.

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Research in the UAE

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RESEARCH OUTPUT

11,268
2008 - 2012
21,473
2013 - 2017
91%
GROWTH

Of all research:

11.9% 23.1%
Basic
Research Applied Research
6 Source: Scopus (Bibliometric data)
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RESEARCH IMPACT 9% Applied 19% Basic Research

2013 - 2017 Research
Above Global average Above Global average

13% Natural Sciences Engineering

& Tech
Above Global average Top Subject Area by Output
Top Subject Area by Citation
Impact

7 Source: Scopus (Bibliometric data)

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64.2% Most collaborations of the UAE is with

of research in the UAE is done through

international collaboration (2008-2017)

International Most beneficial collaborations

collaboration

30%
IMPACT
ABOVE
GLOBAL
AVERAGE

8 Source: Scopus (Bibliometric data)

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Non-Exhaustive

Top Research Institutions

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Research at Khalifa University

KU aims to establish and continually evolve interdisciplinary, collaborative research and development capabilities in the
UAE’s priority science and technology domains, as well as to achieve global research impact through excellence in research
of regional importance.

Research Themes Research Centres

Priorities are addressed in two categories — “verticals” and “horizontals” —
which jointly cover specific industry and sector needs, technical platforms and ADAM APEC ARIC
expertise. Advanced Digital & Additive Advanced Power & Energy Aerospace Research &
Manufacturing Center Center Innovation Center

Clean & Hydrocarbon BTC CeCaS C2PS

Renewable Water & exploration & Center for Biotechnology Center for Catalysis & Center for Cyber-Physical
Separation Systems
Energy Environment Production
CMAT EBTIC ENTC
Center for Membranes & Advanced Emirates ICT Innovation Center Emirates Nuclear Technology Center
Water Technology
Aerospace Supply Chain &
Healthcare (Aero/Astro) Logistics HEIC KUSTIC KUCARS
Healthcare Engineering Innovation KU Space Technology & KU Center for Autonomous
Center Innovation Center Robotic Systems
Information and Communication Tech (ICT)
KU-KAIST JRC RICH DSOM
KU-KAIST Joint Research Center Research & Innovation Center on Research Center for Digital Supply
Robotics, Aritificial Intelligence and Data Science CO2 & Hydrogen Chain & Operations Management

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing SPSC SBRC SoCC

Space & Planetary Science Center Sustainable Bioenergy Research System-on-Chip Center
Consortium

KUTC
UAE-Korea Joint R&D Technical Center
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Med-Tech Research at Khalifa University
Recent MedTech-related research undertaken by KU
Leveraging AI to Detect
Colorectal Cancer
Khalifa University researchers find a way to use
convolutional neural networks to identify cancer in
tissue samples, which could speed up diagnosis and
improve outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer.
Studying Emirati Genome
to Determine Genes
Associated with Metabolic
Syndrome
Researchers from Khalifa University have been
investigating the specific genome variants that may
point to risk factors for certain diseases and seeking to
understand how these genetic variations can help
develop more personalized treatment plans.
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Weight Monitoring
Shoes to help Prevent
Hospitalizations
KU Researchers develop shoes to continuously monitor
body weight and help prevent hospitalizations, as short-
term changes in body weight are correlated with some
severe health problems and daily information about a
patient’s body weight could save lives.
KU Research Team
Investigates the Future
of Stem Cell Therapies
There are several major challenges that must be
addressed before stem cells can be used as cell
therapies to treat a wider range of diseases. One of
these challenges, investigated by a team from KU , is
the pathway by which stem cells self-renew or
differentiate.
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Model for COVID-19 Model to Understand
Vaccination Prioritization to How Long and How Far
Reduce Total Fatalities COVID-19 Virus Remains
Airborne
Khalifa University researchers develop model to
determine who to vaccinate first against COVID-19 to KU, in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi,
announced that a team of researchers is developing a
reduce total fatalities, and outcomes of the model
model to understand precisely how the COVID-19 virus
suggest priority be given to those with the most contact
with others. travels through the air and how long it can stay
airborne, using colloids and mannequins to assess
safety levels in hospitals and effectiveness of PPEs.
Novel ‘Biodegradable’ & New Portable Cost-
‘Biocompatible’ Anti-Viral Effective PCR Test To
Adaptive Face Mask Help Detect COVID-19 in
45 Minutes
A team of researchers from Khalifa University has
KU announced a team of researchers has successfully
developed a portable Covid-19 testing kit, no larger than
developed the first working prototypes of NavaMASK, a
your average smartphone. The new kit is both portable
fully ‘biodegradable’, ‘biocompatible’, environment-
and can deliver the results in 45 minutes only.
friendly and novel anti-viral adaptive face mask with
nanofibers that have strong anti-microbial properties.
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Research at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences

MBRU aims to become a leading research-focused medical academic institution and to create an innovative and
enriching research environment that will support the advancement of healthcare in the UAE and globally.

Research Themes Center for Genomic Discovery

The Center for Genomic Discovery is the first-of-its-kind in the UAE established with the goal of:
Diabetes Cancer Obesity
1. Diagnosing and treating UAE patients with genetic disorders
Genetics / Spaceflight 2. Enhancing local genomic research
COVID-19 3. Training the next generation of scientists in the UAE
Genomics Medicine

Reproduction Microbiology Oral Health

Cardiometabolic Neuro-developmental
Abnormalities Disorders

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Med-Tech Research at MBRU

Recent MedTech-related research and initiatives undertaken by MBRU

Whole Genome Wellness on Wheels Saliva testing as Study on Molecular

sequencing of COVID-19 Initiative effective alternative to Motor Dynein Linked to
nasal swab Developmental and
Neurodegenerative
Disorders

Dubai’s COVID-19 Command and Control Centre, CCC,
has announced the UAE’s first full genome sequencing
of the COVID-19 virus. The successful sequencing of the
virus from a patient in Dubai was performed by
researchers at MBRU in collaboration with Dubai
Health Authority and Al Jalila Children’s Specialty
Hospital.
MBRU, in collaboration with the Dubai Health
Authority (DHA), announced that it has begun
conducting COVID-19 vaccination drives across the city
through mobile clinics deployed as part of the Wellness
on Wheels (WoW) initiative, a unique project launched
by MBRU to provide medical assistance to community
members.
Researchers from the Mohammed Bin Rashid
University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU)
have made a significant contribution to the fight
against COVID-19 with the completion of a study into
the effectiveness of saliva as an alternative to the
nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19 screening.
Implemented at DHA for children aged 3-16.
Dr. Saif Al Qassim, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at
MBRU published a breakthrough study on molecular
mechanisms in the human body. Dr. Al Qassim and a
team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania
conducted the research on Dynein, a molecular motor
that is responsible for the transportation of various
cellular cargo and plays a critical role in cell division.

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Research at New York University Abu Dhabi

The NYUAD Research Institute supports centers that address questions of global significance and local relevance and allows
leading faculty members from across the disciplines to carry out creative scholarship and high-level research on a range of
complex issues with depth, scale, and longevity that otherwise would not be possible.

Research Themes Research Centers

Planetary
Cybersecurity Genomics
1. Center for Astro, Particle and Planetary Physics
Physics 2. Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID)
3. Center for Cyber Security
Urban Networks Climate Space Science 4. Center for Genomics and Systems Biology
5. Center for Global Sea Level Change
6. Center for Interacting Urban Networks (CITIES)
Neuroscience Public Health Water
7. Center for Prototype Climate Modeling
8. Center for Space Science
9. Center for Stability, Instability, and Turbulence
10.Neuroscience of Language Lab (NeLLab)
11.Public Health Research Center
12.Water Research Center (NYUAD-WRC)

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Research at New York University Abu Dhabi

The NYUAD Research Institute supports centers that address questions of global significance and local relevance and allows
leading faculty members from across the disciplines to carry out creative scholarship and high-level research on a range of
complex issues with depth, scale, and longevity that otherwise would not be possible.

Development of new
Simple and low-cost AI to predict healthcare
technology that can help
microfluidic chip that can prognostic systems for
predict drug efficacy and
extract and detect COVID-19 patients
guide new drug treatments
DNA/RNA rapidly
for tumors

Once fully developed, the invention could provide
faster, more accurate, and easier detection - even
using a standard smartphone camera with an
appropriate filter. The impact of the device extends
beyond the original purpose of SARS-CoV-2 detection,
and can be utilized to detect the presence of other
known pathogens.
NYUAD research team develops high throughput
paper-based arrays of 3D tumor models that can be
preserved through freezing. By testing cisplatin (a
typical chemotherapeutic drug) on breast cancer 3D
models generated within the developed platform, the
team was able to prove that their technology is
capable of predicting the outcomes of drug efficacy.
Shamout and a team of NYUAD researchers
collaborated with SEHA –Abu Dhabi Health Services
and G42 Healthcare to develop a prognostic system
that predicts complications common to COVID-19 to
support patient risk stratification. The research,
currently under review, shows that a data-driven
approach using machine learning can predict the risk
complications with high accuracy

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Research at United Arab Emirates University

Research focus at UAEU is aimed at addressing national, regional and international challenges by developing innovative and
sustainable solutions, contributing to the UAE’s developing in an array of science and technology fields.

Research Areas Research Centers

The National Space Science and Technology Center
Space science and space technologies engineering.
Water, Energy,
Health and Space Science Food and
Medical and Technology
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Center for Health Sciences
Environmental Translational and applied research that addresses national and regional health issues, AI and robotics application in
Sciences (HMS) (SST) Sustainability health and nanotechnology.
(WEFES)

Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Genetic engineering for crop improvement, genomics and bioinformatics, translational research for crop development.
Social and
Digital Material Science Emirates Center for Mobility Research
Economic
Technology and and Manufacturing Efficient Infrastructure, Green Mobility, Connected & Autonomous Mobility (CAM), Integrated Mobility, and Safe
Emerging
Security (DTS) (MSM) Mobility.
Issues (SEEI)
National Water and Energy Center
Conservation and sustainability of water resources and energy.

The Big Data Analytics Center

Medical images data analytics, computational science, health data science, data privacy and security, natural language
processing, AI and machine learning.

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Research at United Arab Emirates University

Research focus at UAEU is aimed at addressing national, regional and international challenges by developing innovative and
sustainable solutions, contributing to the UAE’s developing in an array of science and technology fields.

UAEU Science and Innovation Park Recent Med-tech Related Research

• Established as part of UAEU’s strategic plan 2017-2021. Post-Stroke Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology
• Aligns with the UAE Vision 2021 and the National Innovation Strategy to
become a global hub for research, innovation and entrepreneurship to foster
the transitioning of the UAE economy towards a Knowledge Economy.

Aims
COVID-19
Train and support the new generation of innovators, Global Risk Cognitive Training for Elderly
01
entrepreneurs, and change-makers.

Support scientific research, building strategic partnerships with industries

02 and commercializing innovative products.

Support infusing an entrepreneurship mindset and building capabilities to Foot Drop Modelling
03 start and grow global businesses in the UAE's critical areas to the benefit
of the community

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Research under Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC)

The Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) is the overarching advanced technology research
body in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The Council was established to shape research and development for
transformative technology outcomes.

Research Areas Research Centers

Sustainability, Cryptography Advanced Autonomous

Food and Materials Robotics Research
Healthcare environment and Research Centre
agriculture
energy Research Centre Centre

Aerospace and
Safety & Security Transport
Space
Quantum Digital Security Secure Systems
Research Centre Research Centre Research Centre

Directed Energy
Research Centre

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Incentivizing R&D

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Golden Visa
Long-term visa that is granted to specialized talents and researchers in the fields of science and
technology.

Objectives Target Audience

01 Retain the existing professional talent pool in Science and S&T Professionals and Experts
Technology
Professionals with technical expertise in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) backgrounds
02 Attract S&T professionals to the UAE and ensure the UAE’s
competitiveness in the fierce global competition for talent

Creating a knowledge-intensive environment that simulate STI

03 activities within the UAE’s economy, including R&D Scientists and Researchers
PhD-holding researchers and scientists within academia and
Increasing the contribution of Advanced Technology and R&D
industry contributing to the R&D in their sector
contribution to the GDP
04

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In-Country Value and R&D

The ICV program, it its equation, includes in its evaluation 4 main parameters, whilst leaving room for other bonus
parameters to be utilized as tools for incentivizing spend and capability development in the fields of R&D and Advanced
Technology.

National ICV Formula Parameters Benefits

Greater opportunities for

Objective 1. Manufacturing Cost government contracting

Localize the production of goods and services...

with zero financial implications 2. Investment

Financial incentives from Emirates

3. Emiratization Development Bank (EDB)

Impact
4. Expat Contribution
• Emiratization • GDP Diversification
Bonus: Spend of R&D & Contractual advantage with the partner
• Supply Chain • More Industrial Advanced Tech.
Investments
companies and federal authorities
Localization

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Maryam Lootah – S&T Policies and Programs, MoIAT

mlootah@moiat.gov.ae

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