Thales Emarat Technologies and Hub71 team up to support local innovation

The two entities will explore potential areas of collaboration to boost the development of new technology in the UAE

The Abu Dhabi Global Market. Thales Emarat Technologies and Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 are teaming up to support local innovation and the development of new technology. Alamy

Thales Emarat Technologies, a unit of France's defence electronics group Thales, and Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 are teaming up to support local innovation and develop new technology.

As part of the agreement, Thales Emarat Technologies will work closely with Hub71 start-ups and other members to identify potential areas of collaboration that will boost innovation in the UAE.

“Our partnership with Thales supports our mission to connect our partners with innovation and empower youths to develop ideas that harness technology and solve real-life challenges,” said Nader Museitif, head of partnerships and business development at Hub71.

“We are going through a nationwide digital transformation in Abu Dhabi and technology is at the heart of that.

"It is important that we engage and inspire future generations to become tomorrow’s tech entrepreneurs and pioneers and sustain our future economy.”

Hub71 is a flagship initiative of the Dh50 billion ($13.6bn) Ghadan 21 economic stimulus programme.

It was launched last year by the Abu Dhabi government in co-operation with Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi Global Market, Microsoft and SoftBank to boost the start-up ecosystem in the emirate.

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“Innovation, education, and industrialisation are shared values between Thales and Hub71, and we are certain that our combined expertise will be beneficial to the local vision of sovereignty and autonomy,” said Bernard Roux, chief executive of Thales in the UAE.

The agreement will provide Hub71 members with access to events and workshops by Thales Emarat Technologies, while Thales staff will join the Hub71 mentorship programme.

“These initiatives will provide local entrepreneurs and start-ups with access to some of the most experienced engineers and developers from Thales’s international network,” the two entities said.

Paris-based Thales group is active in different fields including aeronautics, space, transport and defence. The company generated €19bn ($22.45bn) in sales in 2019.