WEF & TII announce Frontier Technologies Research Centre
Abu Dhabi join WEF's global C4IR innovation network at Davos
#UAE #C4IR - Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the global applied research centre of Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), and the World Economic Forum have announced the launch of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Frontier Technologies at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. The Centre, part of WEF’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Global Network, will focus on quantum computing, robotics, propulsion and space systems, and related AI applications. The collaboration positions Abu Dhabi as a global research hub for advanced technologies and joins C4IR centres across the United States, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan and India in shaping responsible adoption of transformative technologies.
SO WHAT? - The Centre establishes Abu Dhabi as a key node in the World Economic Forum’s global innovation network, leveraging the UAE’s position as a real-world testbed for emerging technologies. With an agile regulatory environment and strong linkage between research, policy and execution, the partnership enables breakthrough science to move from laboratory development into practical deployment at national scale. The collaboration reinforces the UAE’s strategic positioning in frontier technology research and global technology governance.
Here are the key points of the announcement:
Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and the World Economic Forum have announced the launch of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Frontier Technologies at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. The Centre is part of WEF’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Global Network.
The collaboration was formalised during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of the annual meeting, marking a significant step in deepening international cooperation on frontier technologies.
Technology Innovation Institute is the applied research arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council, responsible for leading breakthroughs in frontier research and development across advanced technology domains.
The Centre has been established with a clear mandate to lead breakthroughs in frontier research and development, advance global policy on emerging technologies, and foster international collaboration that moves innovation from laboratory into real-world deployment.
The UAE offers a unique platform for piloting, deploying and scaling emerging technologies at national level, supported by an agile regulatory environment that will now be amplified through the World Economic Forum’s globally connected C4IR network.
The Centre aims to advance Abu Dhabi’s thought leadership through proof-of-concept pilots, regulatory sandboxes and global convenings, serving as both an innovation engine and strategic platform for responsible technology adoption.
The World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Global Network connects centres across multiple countries including the United States, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan and India to shape global technology agenda.
The partnership strengthens the C4IR Global Network’s ability to support industries in translating innovation into practical, responsible solutions that advance inclusion, sustainability and trust in technology.
ZOOM OUT - The World Economic Forum’s expanding Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network has grown to 24 centres across five continents driving responsible technology adoption and industry transformation. The Gulf region now hosts four C4IR centres following the UAE’s pioneering launch in Dubai in 2019 as the first in the region, Saudi Arabia’s opening in 2021, and Qatar and Oman’s establishment in 2024. The network serves as a global public-private platform for collaborative development of technology governance and policy protocols, with each centre tailoring frameworks to local ecosystems whilst advancing innovation and positioning host nations as hubs for frontier technologies.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]