MoHESR And ADQ Launch Innovation Bridge 2025 Forum To Enhance Research Collaboration And Funding Opportunities

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) and ADQ, a sovereign investor, hosted the Innovation Bridge 2025 forum in Abu Dhabi. This event gathered representatives from higher education institutions and research centres alongside 14 ADQ portfolio companies. Over 100 participants attended, including 34 industry leaders and 66 academic representatives.

The forum's primary goal was to enhance collaboration between academic researchers and economic sectors. It aimed to foster partnerships between higher education institutions and the private sector, accelerating the transformation of academic research into industrial innovations with economic impact. Discussions also explored potential funding opportunities from ADQ for research projects aligned with its business priorities.

Taif Mohamed Alamiri, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Higher Education Regulation and Governance Sector, highlighted the Ministry’s dedication to linking higher education institutions with national businesses. He stated that this connection strengthens the research ecosystem and ties it to innovative applications that promote UAE’s economic growth.

Alamiri noted, "The Forum represents a practical model for constructive partnerships between the academic and business sectors. It provided an interactive platform that brought together researchers, industry leaders and investors under a shared vision to transform knowledge into economic value and theoretical research into practical, innovative solutions."

Alamiri further emphasised the importance of investing in research as a step towards achieving UAE’s vision of a competitive economy. He remarked that collaborating with ADQ exemplifies strategic partnerships aimed at supporting applied research, adopting advanced technologies, and developing innovation-based opportunities beneficial to society and the economy.

Innovation Bridge 2025 served as a strategic platform to convert research into practical solutions that drive growth across ADQ’s portfolio. The initiative underscores a shared commitment to empowering innovators while advancing national priorities through collaboration with universities, academic institutions, and regulators.

Focus on Key Themes

The forum featured interactive discussions on four main themes: artificial intelligence and automation, energy transition, environmental impact mitigation, and innovative waste conversion methods. These sessions aimed to strengthen integration between scientific research and industrial application.

Participating institutions included eight major universities such as United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Zayed University, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Khalifa University, American University of Sharjah, University of Sharjah, Ajman University, and New York University Abu Dhabi. Representatives from 14 ADQ portfolio companies like TAQA, Etihad Airways, Etihad Rail also joined.

Building Future-Ready Economies

ADQ is committed to accelerating innovation by investing in knowledge and technology areas like artificial intelligence. This investment is crucial for building a resilient economy ready for future challenges. The forum opened new cooperation channels between universities and national companies for joint projects.

The Innovation Bridge 2025 aligns with the Ministry’s policies supporting research initiatives that contribute to the ‘We the UAE 2031 Vision’. This vision aims to establish a competitive knowledge-based economy by integrating scientific research with industrial applications.

With inputs from WAM