The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council supported an ASPIRE industry seminar on Tuesday, September 12th on the “Future of Aerospace.” This fifth in a series of industry seminars convened officials, executives, and researchers to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by the aerospace industry and discuss how to harness the innovations in advanced materials, drone technologies, automation, artificial intelligence, and IoT in revolutionizing the industry going forward.

Dr. Ray Johnson, CEO of ASPIRE, moderated a fireside chat with Dr. Mohamed Alahbabi, Senior Advisor for Edge and Former Director General of the U.A.E. Space Agency. Two panel discussions explored the U.A.E.’s aviation value chain and advancing space capabilities in the country. Speakers included representatives from Bayanat, Boeing, Jacobs, Khalifa University, the National Space Science and Technology Center, and the U.A.E. Space Agency.

Following the panel sessions, participants met with researchers from the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in small workshop groups designated based on the specific interests and experiences of the companies. In these workshops, TII researchers and the industry experts engaged in targeted discussions about the challenges they face in aerospace and aviation supply chains, maintenance, commercial services, and technology development. The workshops also allowed attendees to network with other stakeholders from the industry representing their companies’ or institutions’ leadership, business development, research and innovation, strategy planning, or technology and equipment departments.

This event builds on the success of the previous four sessions of ASPIRE’s industry seminar series, which facilitated conversations between key stakeholders in specific industries. The first seminar, hosted in October 2022, focused on the mobility industry, the second in November 2022 centered around agriculture, the third in February 2023 convened the U.A.E.’s healthcare sector, and the fourth, in May 2023, discussed sustainability across the U.A.E.’s business and society.

This event was hosted by ASPIRE and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the newly created institutions within the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) mandated by the Government of Abu Dhabi to create and shape an advanced R&D ecosystem in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. 

For questions about this event or the Business Council’s activities in this sector, please contact Alyssa Kristeller at akristeller@usuaebusiness.org.