The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) today announced that it is partnering with Siemens Energy AG to accelerate the journey to net zero in the UAE and globally. Under the partnership, Siemens Energy will receive support to set up its Middle East Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi, as part of ADIO’s AED 2 billion (USD 545 million) Innovation Programme that creates growth opportunities for businesses in the emirate.
The partnership agreement was signed by Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, Acting Director General of ADIO, and Dietmar Siersdorfer, Managing Director of Siemens Energy Middle East. The ceremony comes on the back of German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to the UAE on 25 September, during which he witnessed the signing of the New Energy Security and Industry Accelerator agreement that will accelerate projects between the UAE and Germany in energy security, decarbonisation and climate action.
Siemens Energy chose Abu Dhabi for its Middle East Innovation Centre because of the emirate’s efforts to decarbonise the economy, become a global hub for green energy and grow the knowledge ecosystem. The Innovation Centre will contribute to the UAE’s goals of generating 50GW of renewable energy by 2050 and becoming a global energy centre of excellence.
The Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi is one of only four globally that Siemens Energy has created, with the other locations in Orlando in the United States, Shenzhen in China and Berlin in Germany. It will leverage the company’s expertise in developing sustainable, reliable and affordable clean energy technologies. It will also act as an incubator for new startups and technologies, bringing together customers, industrial partners, academia and research centres to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative solutions driving the energy transition.
The Abu Dhabi Innovation Centre will be headed by Siemens Energy Chief Technology Officer, Middle East, Dr-Ing. Fahad Alyafei with a goal of not only developing innovative new technologies to accelerate the journey to net zero, but also enriching the economy through Emiratisation, job creation, skills and knowledge transfer, to develop the next generation of innovative researchers.
Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, Acting Director General of ADIO, said: “As the UAE makes strides toward our net zero goal, we are prioritising the development of pioneering technologies to meet the demand for sustainable energy. The partnership between ADIO and Siemens Energy will enrich the energy technology ecosystem with the introduction of new ideas and solutions that open pathways for the global energy transition. ADIO will continue to partner with innovation-driven companies in high-impact sectors to help them reach the next stage of their growth.”
ADIO’s Innovation Programme will provide financial and non-financial incentives to Siemens Energy to establish its new Middle East Customer Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi. The centre furthers the company’s mission to meet the growing global demand for sustainable energy by facilitating pioneering ideas and technologies that can be added to Siemens Energy’s existing products and services across the entire energy value chain. The Innovation Centre will primarily focus on developing circular carbon economies and technologies incorporating digital decarbonisation solutions, green fuels, fuel cells and electrification of heat and industrial processes. A host of intellectual property is expected to be developed, along with an aim to facilitate six industry partnerships and four Abu Dhabi university research partnerships by 2025.
In addition to supporting knowledge transfer and developing new commercial solutions, the centre will strengthen specialised skillsets and create 75 high-skilled jobs in Abu Dhabi by 2025. Siemens Energy will also offer at least six internships annually to students from Abu Dhabi universities, of which 50% of the interns will be Emiratis.
Dietmar Siersdorfer, Managing Director UAE and Middle East, Siemens Energy, said: “To accelerate decarbonisation and reach net zero faster, we need to leverage partnership and innovation. As one of four globally, this Siemens Energy Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with ADIO, will enable us to leverage the rich industrial ecosystem in Abu Dhabi, and work with startups, academia as well as public and private companies to develop and commercialise new technologies that will make a meaningful impact on carbon reduction.”
Siemens Energy views Abu Dhabi as a long-term strategic partner given the emirate’s accessible critical assets including low-cost and reliable renewable energy, existing petrochemical infrastructure and the presence of critical non-oil logistical and heavy industries. The partnership contributes to the achievement of the UAE’s net zero goals by driving the energy transition and helping Abu Dhabi entities achieve their decarbonisation targets.
The launch of the Innovation Centre not only aligns with the goals of 2022’s COP27 in Egypt but supports the vision for 2023’s COP28 in the UAE, which aims to increase global climate action, while maximising the economic benefits both regionally and globally.
ADIO’s Innovation Programme supports high-growth companies and helps them tap into sizeable business and growth opportunities in Abu Dhabi. The programme has allocated AED 1.3 billion to support more than 40 innovative companies from around the world since its 2020 launch.
