Abu Dhabi launches global digital health Innovation Hub
M42, SRI, VantageBridge to drive global breakthroughs for digital health
#UAE #digitalhealth – A first-of-its-kind global AI and Healthcare Innovation Hub is to be established in Abu Dhabi, to position the emirate as a global leader in AI-driven healthcare solutions, foster startup growth, drive and commercialise cutting-edge research, and facilitate the exchange of intellectual property and global expertise. Towards this goal, a partnership was signed during Abu Dhabi Global Health Week between M42’s Abu Dhabi Health Data Services (ADHDS) — operators of the the region’s first Health Information Exchange platform Malaffi, U.S. research institute SRI International and private equity firm VantageBridge Partners. Under the agreement SRI will lead R&D initiatives across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, while VantageBridge will drive commercialisation and investment activity.
SO WHAT? – M42’s ADHDS and Department of Health-Abu Dhabi have pioneered one of the most advanced Health Information Exchange (HIE) ecosystems in the world, connecting more than 3,000 healthcare facilities with 10.9 unified patient records, improving healthcare quality and patient outcomes. The world-class expertise, digital systems and infrastructure available in Abu Dhabi, make it ideally positioned to innovate at the cutting-edge of digital health.
Here are some key take-aways from the announcement:
A new Innovation Hub for AI and healthcare will be established as a collaboration between M42’s Abu Dhabi Health Data Services (ADHDS), U.S. research institute SRI International and private equity firm VantageBridge Partners. The announcement was made at Abu Dhabi Global Health Week.
The hub will support research, commercialisation, startup growth, and IP exchange in AI-powered healthcare, positioning Abu Dhabi as a global innovation centre.
SRI will establish a dedicated focus for healthcare and AI in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META), operating exclusively with ADHDS in the region.
VantageBridge will lead investment and go-to-market activities, helping translate healthtech research into scalable commercial solutions.
The hub will build on ADHDS’s success with the Malaffi health information exchange, one of the world’s fastest and most advanced HIE ecosystems.
M42, the parent company of ADHDS, includes more than 480 healthcare facilities across 26 countries and operates flagship programmes like the Emirati Genome Project and Abu Dhabi BioBank.
The initiative supports the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi’s goal of making the emirate a global leader in health innovation, backed by world-class regulation and infrastructure.
The Innovation Hub will serve as a launchpad for breakthrough solutions in chronic disease management, predictive medicine, and personalised care.
Abu Dhabi aims to attract leading AI and life sciences startups to the Hub, leveraging its strategic location, policy support, and investor network.
ZOOM OUT – The announcement of the AI and Healthcare Innovation Hub reflects Abu Dhabi’s long-term ambition to become a global R&D hub and producer of high-value intellectual property. The emirate has made significant investments to build a strong foundation for R&D, supported by a growing ecosystem of world-class AI research. News of the planned Innovation Hub follows the launch of the HELM cluster this week — another major AI–life sciences initiative, led by ADIO (Abu Dhabi Investment Office) and the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi. Together, these efforts bolster Abu Dhabi’s standing as a leading centre for health innovation, capable of advancing cutting-edge science with global impact.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Read more about Abu Dhabi’s healthcare ecosystem:
Abu Dhabi launches AI-driven Life Sciences cluster (Middle East AI News)
Burjeel Holdings to deploy healthcare GenAI agents (Middle East AI News)
Cleveland Clinic & G42 form task force for AI opportunities (Middle East AI News)
M42 releases MEDIC leaderboard for clinical LLMs (Middle East AI News)
M42 releases new versions of clinical LLM (Middle East AI News)
M42 delivers framework for evaluating clinical LLMs (Middle East AI News)