The integration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) into the UAE’s manufacturing processes is driving the country towards a smart industrial sector, noted Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology.

“The integration of 4IR solutions into our value and supply chains is critical to fostering a knowledge- and innovation-based economy, which will shape the next fifty years of the emirates as we continue to cultivate a culture of innovation,” said Al Amiri, who paid a high-level visit to Halcon facilities at Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi, accompanied by a senior delegation of officials from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT).

The minister was hosted by Edge Group Managing Director and CEO, Faisal Al Bannai, and Halcon CEO, Saeed Al Mansoori, in the presence of other senior Edge Group representatives.

The tour of Halcon’s manufacturing facilities was supported with a presentation to the minister, in which Halcon detailed how the company is helping secure a digital future through investments in digital transformation; a laser focus on operational excellence; and highlighted the organisational gains achieved to date, and those projected for the future.

Al Amiri said: “It’s exciting to see UAE-based companies like Halcon driving the country towards a smart industrial sector powered by advanced technologies.

She added: “We recently announced the 4IR Programme, Industry 4.0, which aims to increase industrial production by 30 per cent, and industrial contribution to the local economy by AED25 billion ($6.81 billion), by 2031. These objectives are only achievable through joint efforts between MoIAT and its partners in the public and private sectors.”

Early last month, as part of the “Projects of the 50”, the UAE Government launched the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network to promote the adoption of advanced technologies in the national industrial sector. The project, which aims to establish and grow 500 national companies equipped with the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, will be key in creating an attractive business environment to meet the needs of local and international investors, support the continuous growth of national industries, improve their competitiveness, and enhance the UAE’s position as a global destination for pioneering future industries with world-class infrastructure and a skilled and technologically advanced workforce.

The network is designed to provide a platform that brings together 15 leading national companies in technology adoption to transfer knowledge, share best practices and train 100 CEOs in the industrial sector on the latest digital trends.

Through the network, the Smart Industry Readiness Index will be developed to support the digital transformation of 200 industrial companies after evaluating the efficiency of digital operations.

Adnoc, Strata, Edge and Emirates Global Aluminium will be joined by leading global companies in technology development such as Siemens, Microsoft, Cisco and IBM to share successful implementation of advanced technology and applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Meanwhile, Al Amiri said that Halcon’s efforts will help to elevate the cutting-edge capabilities of the UAE’s defence industry.

Commenting on the visit, Al Bannai, said: “Edge and its entities, including Halcon, are fully aligned with MoIAT’s with regards to the pressing need to invest in an advanced R&D ecosystem and to further enhance our national capacities with future-focused skills. We are bringing these disruptive new capabilities to reality with pace as we leverage the power of data in areas that include artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotic process automation, to offer superior products and services to the defence sector and beyond.”