Intel establishes Internet of Things Ignition Lab in Dubai Silicon Oasis

Intel and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, today announced the inauguration of Intel’s Ignition Lab for the innovation of Internet of Things (IoT) for the MENA region. Located in Dubai Technology Entrepreneurship Centre (DTEC), DSOA’s wholly owned technology incubation center, the lab will collaborate with local companies in promoting novel IoT developments.

Considered to be one of the fastest developing areas of the high tech industry, IoT is today in great demand. IoT is built around the idea of turning any device/object into a smart one by allowing it to communicate with other devices, via the cloud, and to produce data that can be used to increase value.

Commenting on the new milestone, Dr Mohammed Alzarooni, Vice Chairman and CEO of DSOA, said: “Earlier this year, we launched the Dubai Technology Entrepreneurship Center (DTEC), the largest of its kind in the Middle East region. Since its launch, we have offered entrepreneurs and start-ups with world class facilities, support and consultancy to help drive their innovative ideas to the next level.”

“Today, we celebrate the opening of Intel IoT Ignition Lab, a new milestone that we are confident will add significant value to start-ups and entrepreneurs that have opted for DTEC as their incubation center of choice and co-working space. This lab will not only serve as a creativity and innovation stimulator, but will also function as a melting pot for ideas in the promising Internet of Things space and provide a launch pad to bring radical ideas to reality, regardless of the pillar they fall under.”

Nassir Nauthoa, General Manager Intel Corporation Gulf Countries said "Globally market opportunities and solutions around IoT continue to gain more prominence. Similarly we believe that the growth potential for IoT in the UAE market is huge given the move towards implementing the Smart City concept. We look forward to working with local companies and partners to explore ways in which we can help to make our environment a smarter place to live, work and play."

In the UAE, the adoption, application, and usage of IoT technologies, impact a variety of domains including security, healthcare, and transportation.

The Dubai-based Ignition lab will focus on the following three pillars:

Smart Cities: Many cities in the UAE are already promoting IoT projects, starting with Dubai, which in April 2015, was crowned ‘MENA Smart City’ of the year. Intel is already involved in some of these projects in line with the UAE’s vision.

Smart Homes: Intel is developing a smart home solution to deliver the hardware, software and cloud services tying multiple device ecosystems (‘things’) into a single end-user experience. The gateway is an important component of this solution as it is a local, always on, always connected, managed and secured device. Intel gateway solutions address various market segments and home topologies. As such, the Intel Puma(tm) based gateway solution enables using a single box in the home for broadband router and local connectivity while running smart home services using the same platform. Combining multiple services on the same platform, in a robust/secured manner will enable world class user experience and velocity.

Smart transportation: Intel believes transportation and shipping offer multiple opportunities for improvement with IoT. Several UAE companies, such as the Road and Transportation Authority (RTA), are already engaged in developing transportation solutions, and are implementing integrated transportation systems which rely on intelligent smart cards that can be used across several modes of transport. Another area on which Intel focuses on is in-car systems, for which it runs a dedicated development center in Germany.

Louise Summerton who is responsible for running the Intel IoT Ignition Labs across Europe Middle East & Africa added “We are thrilled to see the addition of Dubai to compliment the other seven lab locations. Being at the heart of this growing business will enable Intel and its local partners to showcase IoT solutions to customers, suppliers, partners and the region’s high tech companies."

Arathi Ajay was recently appointed manager of the IoT Lab. To find out more about Intel’s Internet of Things (IoT) Innovation and Development lab in Dubai, UAE, visit the following link: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/internet-of-things/iot-ignition-labs.html Follow us on Twitter @Intel_UAE