Abu Dhabi, UAE – The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and EDGE Group PJSC have jointly launched Talk 4.0, a new knowledge-exchange initiative aimed at empowering industrial leaders to adopt transformative technologies and sustainable practices.

The new initiative follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the two parties in August 2022, which sought to expand the offerings of EDGE’s Learning & Innovation Factory to the UAE’s industrial ecosystem and support the establishment of an Industry 4.0 Enablement Centre.

Talk 4.0 is the latest in a series of initiatives designed to encourage and accelerate digital transformation in line with MoIAT’s Technology Transformation Program (TTP) launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in October 2022. The move also supports the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative given technology’s key role in industrial decarbonization.

Talk 4.0 brings together industrial leaders to share learnings and best practices in Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) solutions through informative talks, workshops, seminars, and other learning activities.

The inaugural edition of the Talk 4.0 series was held at the EDGE Learning & Innovation Factory. The edition featured keynote speakers from global industrial organizations including: Nouman Qaiser, SC Digital Transformation Manager at Unilever, who discussed the lessons learned from an entrepreneurial journey to becoming a 4IR lighthouse; and Dr. Omer Dawelbeit, Principal Solution Architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS), who delivered a talk on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Following the keynotes, participants experienced a simulation of the EDGE Learning & Innovation Factory’s ‘Smart Learning Factory’, which demonstrated how to design and build digital twins, how to integrate and design connected technologies, and how to use data to enhance productivity and efficiency. Two micro-training sessions focused on Six Sigma and Agile processes were also conducted by EDGE Learning & Innovation Factory trainers.

Moreover, participants had the opportunity to network with other industry professionals and share experiences and best practices, as well as learn more about technology adoption, sustainable solutions, and capacity building.

Tariq Al Hashmi, Director of Technology Adoption and Development at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said: “In order to fully digitalize industry, we must first spread awareness about advanced technologies and their potential to unlock value, as well as empower industrial leaders to adopt them through capability building initiatives. Through education and facilitating knowledge exchanges between industrial stakeholders, Talk 4.0 will directly support the objective of the Technology Transformation Program to accelerate the pace of technological transformation in the UAE’s priority sectors”.

Ahmed Al Khoori, Senior Vice President - Strategy & Excellence at EDGE, said: “Talk 4.0 is a new, key initiative which will bring together some of the industry’s most innovative and inspiring thought leaders to challenge conventional thinking, share learnings and best practices, and discuss topics that will ultimately shape the future of industry. The series will further promote digital transformation and help foster a culture of learning and innovation among the UAE’s leading industrial players.”

The EDGE Learning & Innovation Factory combines theory, technology, and practice under one roof to drive improvements and inspire an innovative approach to encourage digital transformation and modernization of operations. It provides trainees with experiential, gamified, and actionable learnings in line with the industry’s future requirements.

The ministry’s Technology Transformation Program is designed to achieve a set of goals, primarily contributing AED 110 billion to the nation’s GDP; enabling AED 15 billion worth of advanced UAE exports annually; developing 1,000 technological projects; investing AED 11 billion in advanced technology; in addition to nurturing Emirati talent across advanced technology projects within 10 years. 

The program is based on five main initiatives. These include the Industrial Technology Transformation Index, Industry 4.0 Enablement Centres, advanced technology incentives, the Factory of the Future Award, and the Advanced Technology testbed initiative.

About the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) was established in July 2020 to boost the industrial sector's contribution to the UAE's GDP and drive sustainable industrial development. The ministry was formed by combining the Office of the Minister of State for Advanced Technology, the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), and the industrial department of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.

MoIAT is responsible for formulating policies, laws, and programs that attract foreign direct investment, enhance national added value, support entrepreneurship, create jobs, attract talents, upskill national cadres, promote exports and raise the competitiveness of products manufactured in the UAE. To achieve these objectives, MoIAT has created an advanced national quality infrastructure system.

MoIAT leverages its expertise, capabilities, and resources to strengthen the national industrial ecosystem by facilitating the establishment of industrial zones, promoting the adoption of advanced technologies and the integration of Fourth Industrial Revolution solutions and enabling the growth of priority sectors as well as industries of the future. The ministry’s work contributes to national efforts to build a diversified, knowledge-based economy and achieve industrial self-sufficiency.

The ministry is a key driver of the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative and is playing an important role in the country’s COP28 agenda.

For More Information, please contact:
MoIAT’s team: Commsteam@moiat.gov.ae
Tasnim Hijazi
APCO Worldwide
E: thijazi@apcoworldwide.com

About EDGE

Launched in November 2019, the UAE’s EDGE is one of the world’s leading advanced technology groups, established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond, and to be a catalyst for change and transformation. It is dedicated to bringing breakthrough innovations, products, and services to market with greater speed and efficiency, to position the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries, and to creating clear paths within the sector for the next generation of highly-skilled talent to thrive. With a focus on the adoption of 4IR technologies, EDGE is driving the development of sovereign capabilities for global export and for the preservation of national security, working with front-line operators, international partners, and adopting advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials. EDGE converges R&D, emerging technologies, digital transformation, and commercial market innovations with military capabilities to develop disruptive solutions tailored to the specific requirements of its customers. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, EDGE consolidates more than 20 entities into four core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Electronic Warfare & Cyber Technologies, and Trading & Mission Support.