By IANS
Abu Dhabi : The Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat), British Telecom (BT) and Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR) have announced plans to establish a joint research and innovation centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
A memorandum of understanding, signed early this week, will create a jointly funded international centre at Khalifa University, focussing on innovation within the Information and Communication Technology sector, WAM news agency reported Wednesday.
The centre is expected to be a driving force for innovation in the UAE and beyond, creating one of the largest research and innovation laboratory in the Middle East.
Through collaboration with industry, universities and governmental organisations, the centre will encourage international tie-ups in research and innovation in the fields of Next Generation Networks, Systems and Services.
Hussain Al-Hammadi, member of the Abu Dhabi Education Council and Chairman of the Institute of Applied Technology said: “This centre will be established at Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research and it will engage the staff and students of the university in research and development activities that are relevant to industry and of international standing.”
Ahmed Abdulkarim Julfar, Chief Operations Officer of the Emirates Telecommunications Corp, said: “The establishment of this centre will enable Etisalat to drive its growth through innovation and to connect emerging technologies to business advantage.
“This will no doubt emphasise Etisalat’s competitive position as one of the major telecommunication companies in the world.”
Mike Carr, Chief Science Officer at BT, said: “BT has a long-standing commitment to the Middle East and is pleased to partner with Etisalat and Khalifa University in establishing this centre”.
“It will provide a means to transfer BT’s know-how to the Middle East region and at the same time expand the richness and diversity of BT’s innovation by providing it with access to the wealth of intellectual capital that exists in the region,” Carr said.