Dubai Internet City At Gitex 2019: A Catalyst For Tech Collaboration
At Gitex Technology Week, several business partners and start-ups participating at Dubai Internet City’s (DIC) pavilion, announced strategic partnerships, highlighting DIC’s role as a catalyst between tech players of all sizes in its ecosystem while creating an environment that fosters and encourages innovation.
Under the theme of ‘Home to Great Ideas’ , the DIC pavilion is home to some of the world biggest tech companies like Google, HTC, IBM, Microsoft, who are showcasing their newest technologies alongside promising homegrown start-ups incubated at in5 including JunkBot, Mirach Innovations, Munfarid, Viafone, Invoiz, AzadHealth and Wakecap.
Launched by TECOM Group in 2013 as an enabling platform for entrepreneurs, in5 provides tangible resources and support to start-ups, aiding the development of their business idea through a structured incubation programme. The incubator’s start-ups raised millions in investments since the platform’s launch, highlighting in5’s significant contributions to Dubai’s start-up landscape.
Among the announcements were three strategic MoU’s signed by in5 start-up Munfarid as an immersive solutions partner for both Huawei and HP; and as the Enterprise Solutions partner with Higher Innovation Centre for the development and delivery of immersive virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) learning experiences.
Meanwhile, Viafone launched its AI-powered chatbot solutions geared to meet the needs of various enterprises, including Dubai Asset Management and the Federal Electricity & Water Authority (FEWA). They were joined by Mirach Innovations, who exhibited their drone-based smart farming systems, and Wakecap, whose live dashboard solution for construction companies uses smart helmets to improve worker health and safety. Other solutions on display include Invoiz’s paperless cloud-based invoicing app, and Junkbot’s DIY robot-building kits made from recycled materials.
Commenting on DIC’s role as an enabler of innovation, Ammar Al Malik, Managing Director of Dubai Internet City (DIC) said: “DIC has built a truly well-connected community over two decades, in which companies of all sizes, across the entire tech value chain can innovate, improve, and scale their ideas. We are pleased to support our partners and start-ups, and diversify Dubai’s tech ecosystem through a pipeline of top talent, cutting-edge solutions, and ideas for the future.”
“All our business partners – whether leading international companies or innovative local start-ups – are familiar with the region’s massive growth potential. With digital transformation fundamentally changing business models across sectors and industries through both federal mandates and corporate initiatives, we see that the ecosystem is continuously creating opportunities for companies to leverage and stay ahead of the curve. As a result, an increasing number of start-ups are launching and getting funded, and we experience this first-hand at in5 Tech”.
Alongside the in5 start-ups, industry leaders Google, IBM, Xbox and HTC showcased a range of solutions in blockchain, cloud, VR and more, highlighting DIC’s role as a ‘Home to Great Ideas’ that connects tech companies of all sizes, encourages upskilling and knowledge-sharing, promotes entrepreneurship, and spreads disruptive ideas that transform the ways in which we live, work, and interact with one another.
