DED to launch study for establishment of industrial incubator in Dubai

Mr. Kapil Sibal the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, Government of India met with the DED delegation comprising Farid Al Abdullah, Head of Business Sector Development Division and Dr. Faisal Al Amir, Industrial Advisor at the Department of Economic Development. The minister elaborated on the prospects of Research and Development (R&D) and international co-operation in setting up such initiatives in Dubai.

This visit is expected to be the first step by the Government of Dubai towards setting up an industrial incubator in Dubai and could lead to the launch of a full-fledged feasibility study for this initiative.

Khalid Al Kassim, Deputy Director General Planning and Development, DED, said: "The significant focus on R&D in India has laid the strong foundation for its industrial growth and expertise and has attracted international attention. The industrial sectors cluster are overwhelmingly predominant with small industries and the share of medium and large industries in the sales turnover, production and employment is nominal. As Dubai turns its attention to the development of indigenous industry, we hope to gain much from our study of the Indian initiatives."

The DED delegation visited several industrial centers in India including Bangalore, My sore and New Delhi to get first hand experience of India's initiatives in enterprise building, contribution of science and technology to SME's, development of science and technology parks and incubators, financial support mechanism, policy and support systems and other related issues.

"The key to sustainable economic growth is the development of the local Industrial sector," said Mr. Al Abdullah commenting on the DED visit to India. "This visit was part of the groundwork undertaken by the Department in this direction. The DED also plans to launch a study for the establishment of an Industrial Incubator in Dubai, with the objective of encouraging Research and Development (R&D) and enabling the transfer of technology and know-how to the resident population, in order to guarantee a prosperous and urbanized Industrial sector in Dubai," he added.

Mr. Al Abdullah added that the DED will also focus on developing UAE national skills and facilitating them to become more proactive in the Industrial sector in Dubai.