The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH), and the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) signed, today, an agreement as part of the World Government Summit to establish the UNIDO International Centre for Industry Readiness in the UAE.

Facilitated by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, the joint declaration marks a major milestone in the UAE's efforts to help promote sustainable industrial development globally and reflects the country’s emergence as an international industrial hub and leader in advanced manufacturing in line with Operation 300 billion.

The new UNIDO centre in Abu Dhabi will be established to foster the readiness of industry as an essential component of a pandemic and emergency response. The project consists of three phases of design, piloting, and scaling-up.

The declaration was signed in the presence of Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology; and Mansour Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Department of Health.

It was signed by Gerd Müller, Director-General of UNIDO, Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Under-Secretary of Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH), and Badr Al Olama, Head of the Organising Committee of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, at Global Mice Organisation Limited (GMOL).

Commenting on the declaration, Omar Al Suwaidi, Under-Secretary of Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology said, “Industrial resilience is vital to the function of governments and societies. As a platform for global collaboration and a growing manufacturing hub, the UAE is the ideal location for a center that is dedicated to supporting the international community to enhance industrial readiness for the future,” adding that the ministry is committed to bringing stakeholders, resources, knowledge and experiences together to help enable sustainable and resilient industrial development in an unpredictable world.

Gerd Müller said, “industry readiness and adaptability have a direct impact on health and quality of life and the world need to act preventively to face such shocks and major disruption. This pioneering UNIDO International Centre for Industry Readiness based in the UAE is a positive step forward forging a strong industrial sector, with scaled-up capacity and skill to respond to national and global emergencies. UNIDO is delighted that in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Advance Technology and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health and the Global Mice Organisation Limited (GMOL), its expertise in capacity building and industrial development knowledge will be utilized to reach those most in need”.

Al Kaabi stated, “Under the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership, Abu Dhabi continues to lead partnerships that reinforce its position as a sustainable destination on the global industrial stage. Through our collaboration with UNIDO, MoIAT and GMIS, we seek build on our competent response model that has proved its resilience over the last few years. We look forward to working hand in hand with our partners to establish the UNIDO International Centre for Industry Readiness that supports in deploying advanced technologies and developing cutting-edge medical solutions, reiterating Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading destination for innovation in healthcare."

Badr Al Olama commented, “The manufacturing industry has always played a pivotal role in overcoming world crises, but with better preparation for unforeseen events, we will be able to save even more lives. The UNIDO Industrial Readiness Centre will mobilise the global manufacturing and technology communities to leverage advanced technologies to predict potential future emergencies and strengthen the supply chain resilience for manufacturers to scale up the production of essential response products.”

The UNIDO International Centre for Industry Readiness will play a critical role in fostering the readiness of industries in responding to pandemics and emergencies. It will serve as a hub for the exchange of best practices, knowledge, and expertise in this area, and will help to build capacity and resilience across industries globally.

In addition to supporting sustainable industrial development and ensuring the readiness of industries to face emergencies, the new center will support the efforts of governments, businesses, and communities around the world to seize opportunities that arise in industry.

Each of the signatories agreed to contribute to the centre's direction in alignment with the UAE national policies and global needs, jointly identify investors and mobilise funds to support the centre's financial sustainability, and jointly reach out to experts and stakeholders to promote the visibility of the centre.