The Executive Committee of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, which is responsible for developing a detailed plan for the Abu Dhabi Development Accelerator Programme ‘Ghadan 21’, has revealed the recent initiatives and projects under the third pillar of the programme Knowledge and Innovation.
According to the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, these initiatives are aimed at enhancing business competitiveness in Abu Dhabi, attracting investment and increasing economic opportunities. This will contribute to enhancing Abu Dhabi’s position as the capital of economic diversification and an incubator for innovators and economic future makers.
A comprehensive programme is reportedly being finalised and will be implemented over the next 3 years to support the transition of Abu Dhabi to become a high productivity knowledge economy which develops, attracts and retains the highest calibre of global talent and supports the development and adoption of the latest technologies in all sectors of the economy.
The Council will also partner with private sector organisations to create and launch a new tech incubator in Abu Dhabi before the end of year to attract and grow new start-ups.
The programme will be executed through 16 initiatives across three dimensions: supporting industrial research & development; talent attraction and development; and attracting disruptive technology companies and value-adding technology investments.
Initiatives within this dimension will focus on promoting industrial R&D to contribute to the development of a sustainable knowledge-based economy, incentivising automation and renewables in large industries, funding university and start-up R&D operations, and promoting R&D-friendly regulation in Abu Dhabi.
The different initiatives under this umbrella will focus on head hunting critical professionals, amending visa and labour regulations to accommodate high-skill talent. The initiatives will also provide training and development programmes and institutions for high-skilled talent and offer incentives to existing and new training programmes at corporations operating in Abu Dhabi.
To attract new technologies and disruptive companies, new initiatives will focus on providing comprehensive incentive packages, creating the best in class start up environment, offering incentives for industrial modernisation and energy efficiency, and supporting tech companies and start-ups to grow in Abu Dhabi.
