January 22nd 2012, Abu Dhabi, UAE: As part of its efforts to embed science, technology and innovation within the fabric of the Emirate, the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC) announced today the launch of Takamul, an innovation support program which will initially focus on increasing the number of international patents granted from Abu Dhabi.

Commenting on the Takamul launch H.E. Mohammad Ahmad Al Bowardi, Chairman of TDC, stated: "The Abu Dhabi government is firmly committed to building a knowledge based economy in the Emirate. In line with this vision, TDC conducted a comprehensive analysis of the UAE's intellectual property system which identified gaps in several key areas. The Takamul program represents one of the many building blocks that we are launching to address those gaps as we work towards developing a vibrant innovation ecosystem in the Emirate."

Attending the Takamul launch event, H.E. Ahmed Saeed Al Calily, Director General of TDC stated: "Innovation is an ongoing process, an integrated cycle that not only depends on knowledge creation, but also on transforming that knowledge into something useful: new products, or better services, or even improved processes. Therefore, to support the building of a vibrant innovation ecosystem in the Emirate, we must help UAE nationals, universities, and enterprises (both large and SMEs), realize the full potential of their innovative ideas."

Initially, the Takamul program aims to increase the number of international patents granted from Abu Dhabi by conducting a series of patent awareness workshops and by providing legal and financial support for international patent filing. Elaborating on this, H.E. Al Calily said: "Patents are an important part of the innovation lifecycle as they facilitate the technology transfer process. Unfortunately, patent output from Abu Dhabi is relatively low which Takamul aims to address during its initial phase. However, this is just a first step and going forward, our plan is to provide support in other key innovation building blocks such as patent licensing and idea commercialization."

While today's event marked the official launch of Takamul, TDC piloted the program in mid 2011. H.E. Al Calily commented on this by saying: "Results from the pilot phase of Takamul were encouraging as we supported Abu Dhabi based entities in the filing of 13 patents in different technology areas including cleantech, healthcare, oil and gas, ICT and semiconductors." Additionally, H.E. Al-Calily unveiled a brochure entitled "Abu Dhabi Innovations" showcasing these innovations and saying: "The seeds of innovation already exist in Abu Dhabi. By providing the necessary support, our goal is to nurture these seeds as we move towards building a knowledge producing economy."

Commenting on this program, Mr. Abdul Munim Saif Al-Kindy, CEO of Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations and Deputy Chairman of the Petroleum Institute Governing Board said: "There are great ideas in Abu Dhabi - that has always existed. However, support for taking ideas to the next level was missing. This is why the Takamul program is a real-case example of how the government can encourage innovation." This was supported by Dr. Mohammed Al-Mualla, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Khalifa University who added:  "We, at Khalifa University, are proud to have filed for several patents through Takamul. The support provided by this program is essential to identify relevant projects that serve Abu Dhabi 2030 vision, which is the basis of our collaboration with TDC." Dr. Ahmed Hussein, a UAE University professor who recently filed for a patent through Takamul, stressed this point by saying: "This program not only helped us navigate the complex patenting process, but also helped with offsetting the large cost of filing for a patent which is often a deterrent for inventors. Without this program, Abu Dhabi would have lost out on a potentially innovative idea." Dr. Steve Griffiths, Executive Director of the Office of Institute Initiatives at Masdar Institute added: "Patenting is an extremely important process, especially in academia. This is why universities in leading countries like the US provide researchers with the necessary financial and legal support to encourage patent output. Because of Takamul, I expect the number of patents filed from Abu Dhabi to increase significantly over the forthcoming years."

Takamul is one of several strategic initiatives that TDC is launching to support Abu Dhabi government's desire to build a knowledge based economy through embedding science, technology and innovation within the fabric of the Emirate. For more information about Takamul, please visit the program's website at www.takamul.gov.ae.

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About the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC)
The Abu Dhabi Policy Agenda and Economic Vision 2030 have clearly shown the Abu Dhabi government's desire to build a knowledge based economy. By 2030, Abu Dhabi will be an Emirate in which the benefits of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) pervade every aspect of life - inspiring the people, empowering the Emirate and transforming the economy.

TDC was established to support, supervise and coordinate the development of STI in the Emirate. It will be responsible for the incorporated planning and monitoring of Abu Dhabi's STI plan to ensure a globally competitive STI base in the Emirate, to support the creation of a vibrant enterprise base and to foster world class talent with the right skills and attitudes.

To achieve these goals, TDC is pursuing a broad program of change in five key policy areas: human capital, research and development, enterprise development, infrastructure, and laws and regulations.

These programs, in conjunction with others across Abu Dhabi, aim to embed science, technology and innovation within the fabric of Abu Dhabi.

For further media information, please contact:
Andy Phillips
Impact Porter Novelli
Tel: 02 445 7497
Email: a.phillips@ipn.ae
Website: www.tdc.gov.ae

© Press Release 2012