In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Sharjah to establish the emirate as a centre for knowledge, scientific research and innovation, the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation (SRTI) Park, an initiative of the  American University of Sharjah Enterprises (AUSE), announced the signing of an agreement with Future Cities Catapult Services, a UK government institution dedicated to developing innovative products, services and infrastructure to meet the smart needs of communities. The partnership seeks to promote fruitful cooperation between the UK and Sharjah and further build SRTI Park’s reputation as a futuristic institution, while promoting the emirate as a world class research and innovation hub.

The implementation of projects covered under the MoU, which was signed by Jon Kirkpatrick, Chief Delivery Officer at Future Cities Catapult and Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of AUSE and the SRTI Park, will begin with remote desktop research and stakeholder engagement in September 2018 and will go on until February 2019. Furthermore, the partnership will explore ways to develop the SRTI Park into a world-class smart city and to position it as an indicator of the progress made by smart cities in the region. The development of the Park as a testbed for the expansion of technological innovations and the integration of latest technologies will also remain as major focus areas.

In addition to encouraging private sector companies to invest in Sharjah, the latest strategic partnership with Future Cities Catapult Services will also attract international companies in the field of technology, especially from the UK and other leading global smart cities, to take advantage of the facilities and services offered by the Park, which is an incubator platform that facilitates the establishment of business communities based on innovation and technology.

Al Mahmoudi said: “Our recent partnership with Future Cities Catapult reflects our continued efforts to take the Park to new heights of excellence and leadership, in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE, the Ruler of Sharjah, to establish the emirate as a centre for research and technology innovation, while also making them the main pillars of its economy. We aim to launch joint projects that will position Sharjah and the UAE as pivotal players in defining the trends in digital revolution, technological advancements and economic progress.”