Masdar City’s Free Zone has facilitated the establishment of the Nordic Innovation Hub, a business incubator designed to bring Nordic clean technologies and solutions to the UAE.

Nordic Innovation Hub’s purpose is to create a business incubating platform for all Nordic companies considering business in the UAE, as well as those already operating within the country, said a statement.

The hub is a result of a decision by the Nordic Council of Ministers, the body for intergovernmental cooperation between Nordic countries and collaboration with Masdar Free Zone (MFZ) to initiate a soft-landing solution for Nordic companies keen on operating in the global sphere with a particular interest in expanding in the Middle East.

Nordic Innovation Hub is financially supported by Nordic Innovation – an organisation promoting cross-border trade and innovation – working under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The launch event was attended by three Nordic Ambassadors – Riitta Swan (Finland), Jan Thesleff (Sweden) and Jens Eikaas (Norway).

Representatives from Innovation Norway, Finnpro and Business Sweden were also present.

“At Masdar City we are pioneering a greenprint for existing and future cities to sustainably accommodate rapid urbanisation by deploying innovative and sustainable clean technology solutions,”said Dr Ahmad Belhoul, CEO, Masdar.

“We believe that knowledge sharing, global collaboration and the adoption of the most suitable applications for situations that require their own specific solutions are three vital components for reaching our goal. The newly-established hub will contribute to the three requirements, while also supporting economic growth,” he said.