Abu Dhabi has launched a smart and autonomous vehicle industries (SAVI) cluster at Masdar City to support the development of SAVI technologies in the UAE, WAM reported. The move also looks to establish Abu Dhabi as a SAVI hub, with applications for air, land, and sea mobility, WAM said. The project is spearheaded by Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), WAM said.

Three companies are already moving to the cluster: China-based autonomous driving outfit WeRide said it will establish its regional headquarters at SAVI, WAM reported. Meanwhile, Marakeb Technologies will be the first maritime company to move into SAVI where it is expected to give immediate impetus to the cluster’s maritime activities, WAM reported. California-based Joby Aviation, a leading air taxi company, has also revealed plans to establish its footprint in SAVI, according to a press release.

The cluster will have test sites: ADIO will collaborate with Tawazun Industrial Park (TIP), real estate and investment management firm Miral, and AD Ports Group subsidiary Maqta Gateway to provide dedicated test zones for companies developing SAVI applications, WAM reported separately. TIP’s Nibras Aerospace Park in Al Ain will provide runways for testing air mobility concepts, while Yas Island will offer a road mobility test bed, and Mussafah Port will provide facilities for maritime tests. An electronics center at TIP, an aluminum and steel cluster at KEZAD, and an automotive cluster run by Rahayel in the Mussafah Industrial Zone will also provide additional resources for tests, WAM explained.

The infrastructure will be backed by a regulatory framework: ADIO, ADDED, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), and Abu Dhabi Maritime will work to put together a “one-stop-shop” regulatory service that will streamline certification, licensing, authorizations and Intellectual property (IP) management for all SAVI applications across air, land, and sea, WAM reported separately.

Why Masdar City? Companies relocating to the cluster will have access to expansive workshops and hangars, ready-built and modular manufacturing spaces, and access to a broad-based logistics network, WAM reported. Masdar also provides incubation services that include funding and marketing support, in addition to offices, and co-working spaces for startups.

This is big: “SAVI is a game changer,” ADDED Chairman Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi said in statements cited by WAM. The move will unlock new opportunities for investors and is expected to contribute AED 90-120 bn to the national economy while creating 30-50k jobs, with knock-on effects on various sectors, he added. SAVI will also work with universities in the UAE to drive research and innovation in the high tech industry, with ADIO inking partnerships with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), Technology Innovation Institute (TII), Khalifa University, and Hub71 to that effect.

The move opened the floodgates for autonomous mobility partnerships:Emirates Post Group (EPG) and Dronamicsinked a letter of Intent (LOI) at SAVI’s official launch, to work towards establishing a cargo drone delivery network in the UAE and GCC. EPG also inked an agreement with Maqta Gateway and aerial logistics provider SkyGo to collaborate on a trial programme that will see drones deliver parcels and documents to post sites across Abu Dhabi, according to a separate statement.

Tags: