The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) is an
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
government funded research institution that operates in the areas of
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
,
quantum computing
Quantum computing is a type of computation whose operations can harness the phenomena of quantum mechanics, such as superposition, interference, and entanglement. Devices that perform quantum computations are known as quantum computers. Though ...
,
autonomous robot
An autonomous robot is a robot that acts without recourse to human control. The first autonomous robots environment were known as Elmer and Elsie, which were constructed in the late 1940s by W. Grey Walter. They were the first robots in history th ...
ics,
cryptography
Cryptography, or cryptology (from grc, , translit=kryptós "hidden, secret"; and ''graphein'', "to write", or ''-logia'', "study", respectively), is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adver ...
, advanced materials, digital science, directed energy and secure systems.
The institute is a part of the Abu Dhabi Government’s
Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC).
Formation and activities
TII was founded in May 2020 and its first Board meeting took place in August 2020.
Ray O. Johnson is currently serving as the CEO of the institute. In April 2020, the institute started ''Citizen Science,'' an initiative to address the need for specialized medical equipment, data analysis and related technical support in the wake of
Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. In October 2020, it granted $2.3 million fund to a research group of
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
to explore the secure and efficient operations of
drones. In December 2020, it announced collaboration with
Virgin Hyperloop
Hyperloop One (known from October 2017 to November 2022 as Virgin Hyperloop or Virgin Hyperloop One) is an American transportation technology company that works to commercialize the high-speed travel concept called the Hyperloop, a variant of t ...
to explore and implement "localisation of the futuristic transportation method." In March 2021, the institute signed a memorandum of understanding with
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is a graduate-level, research-based academic institution located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The current president, Professor Eric Xing, joined in January 2021. Sir J. Mic ...
to augment research in
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
.
The institute has seven departments:
Quantum Research Centre
The quantum research centre has been established with the aim to develop UAE's first quantum computer. In March 2021, it was announced that the first quantum computer will be developed at the Institute's Quantum Research Centre under the supervision of chief researcher Jose Ignacio Latorre and in collaboration with Spanish organization Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech. The area of operations of Quantum Research Centre includes
quantum cryptography
Quantum cryptography is the science of exploiting quantum mechanical properties to perform cryptographic tasks. The best known example of quantum cryptography is quantum key distribution which offers an information-theoretically secure solution ...
,
quantum communications
Quantum information science is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to understand the analysis, processing, and transmission of information using quantum mechanics principles. It combines the study of Information science with quantum mechanics, qu ...
and
quantum sensing.
Autonomous Robotics Research Centre
Autonomous robotics research centre deals with the automation and robotics related research and development.
Cryptography Research Centre
The cryptography research centre dealing in the area of cryptography has developed ''The National Crypto Library, in December 2020,'' to secure medical records pertaining to the
Covid-19 pandemic. Najwa Aaraj is presently serving as the chief researcher of the centre. During April 2021, the centre developed its second library, a Post-Quantum Cryptography which is a "collection of algorithms to safeguard confidential data and information" keeping the focus on prospective post-quantum era.
Advanced Materials Research Centre
The AMRC is the department of TII that deals with
nanomaterials
*
Nanomaterials describe, in principle, materials of which a single unit is sized (in at least one dimension) between 1 and 100 nm (the usual definition of nanoscale).
Nanomaterials research takes a materials science-based approach to nan ...
,
self healing materials,
smart materials
Smart materials, also called intelligent or responsive materials, are designed materials that have one or more properties that can be significantly changed in a controlled fashion by external stimuli, such as stress, moisture, electric or magnetic ...
,
meta materials,
additive manufacturing
3D printing or additive manufacturing is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer co ...
and energy-absorbing materials and structures. The centre is presently headed by chief researcher Mohamed Al Teneiji.
Digital Science Research Centre
The primary domain of operation of the Digital Science Research Centre is in the field of Data science, Computing science, Telecom Science and Cyber-Security Science. It has three units: the AI cross-center Unit, the Digital Security Unit and the Digital Telecom Unit. The AI cross-center unit pioneers intelligence in all sectors with 5 programs: Theory and Algorithms, Data Driven Technologies and Intelligent Systems, Exascale Models, Perception, Sensing and Planning as well as AI for good. The Digital Security Unit devises Automated and autonomous Vulnerability Detection and Mitigation techniques for software and embedded devices. Finally, The Digital Telecom Unity develops advances communication systems for 5G and 6G systems as well as connected vehicles. The center has been at the heart of the development of Noor, the World’s Largest Arabic NLP Model to date. The center is presently headed by the chief researcher Prof. Merouane Debbah.
Directed Energy Research Centre
The domain of operation of DERC happen to be
electromagnetics
In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge. It is the second-strongest of the four fundamental interactions, after the strong force, and it is the dominant force in the interactions of ...
,
photonics
Photonics is a branch of optics that involves the application of generation, detection, and manipulation of light in form of photons through emission, transmission, modulation, signal processing, switching, amplification, and sensing. Though ...
and
acoustics
Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...
. The centre is known for developing the electromagnetic compatibility labs, which is first of its kind in gulf region. The DERC centre is composed of three facilities namely, EMC semi-anechoic chamber, a pulsed power laboratory, and a low-noise emanation laboratory. The centre is known for working in collaboration with
Gulf Cooperation Council
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf ( ar, مجلس التعاون لدول العربية الخليج ), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ar, مجلس التعاون الخليجي), is a regional, interg ...
,
anechoic chambers etc. Presently, the centre is headed by chief researcher Chaouki Kasmi. In May 2021, the centre forged partnership with a number of academic institutions including
Ruhr University
The Ruhr University Bochum (, ) is a public research university located in the southern hills of the central Ruhr area, Bochum, Germany. It was founded in 1962 as the first new public university in Germany after World War II. Instruction began in ...
,
Helmut Schmidt University
The Helmut Schmidt University (german: link=no, Helmut-Schmidt-Universität), located in Hamburg, Germany, is a German military educational establishment that was founded in 1973 at the initiative of the then-Federal Minister of Defence, Helmut Sc ...
,
University Clermont Auvergne
Clermont Auvergne University (french: Université Clermont Auvergne) is a public research university with its main campus in Clermont-Ferrand, France. It was created with the merger of Blaise Pascal University and the University of Auvergne ...
,
National University of Colombia
The National University of Colombia () is a national public research university in Colombia, with general campuses in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, and satellite campuses in Leticia, San Andrés, Arauca, Tumaco, and La Paz, Ces ...
etc.
Secure Systems Research Centre
The secure system research centre is known for its operation in hardware hardening, software hardening, system integrity, network resilience etc. The centre is currently headed by chief researcher Shreekant Thakkar. During september 2021, the centre successfully launched first motion capture (
MOCAP) facility outside united states. The system is supposed to aid the research related to testing of
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
in an
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...
or
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educ ...
. In October 2021, the centre announced its partnership with Khalifa University of Science and Technology,
University of Turku
sv, Åbo universitet
, latin_name = Universitas Aboensis
, image_name = University of Turku.svg
, motto = ''Vapaan kansan lahja vapaalle tieteelle''
, established = 1920
, type ...
and
Graz University of Technology
Graz University of Technology (german: link=no, Technische Universität Graz, short ''TU Graz'') is one of five universities in Styria, Austria. It was founded in 1811 by Archduke John of Austria and is the oldest science and technology research ...
in relation to the ongoing research projects in
secure mesh communications.
References
{{reflist
Research institutes in the United Arab Emirates
Research institutes established in 2020
Organisations based in Abu Dhabi
2020 establishments in the United Arab Emirates