The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) and Det Norske Veritas (DNV GL), one of the world's largest classification society of vessels, held a workshop titled “UAE Maritime Innovation Day” on the sidelines of the UAE Maritime Week 2018.

UAE Maritime Week 2018, the first event of its kind on the regional maritime map, will concluded yesterday (November 1) in order to introduce the maritime community with the best ways to invest in innovation, research, development and technology, and to take advantages from Dubai's pioneering experience as one of the top five competitive and attractive maritime clusters in the world.

Amer Ali, executive director of DMCA, said: “The workshop is an important milestone in stimulating innovation and employing new technologies to enhance the maritime sector's sustainability in light of the leading experience of Dubai which has reached to the world's five cities in the world in the International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCD) and the world's five most competitive and attractive maritime clusters in terms of competitiveness and attraction in the world, to be a contributor in  making Dubai a major key player in the world economy in line with the goals of Dubai plan 2020.”

“The successful workshop is a true reflection of our fruitful partnership with DNV GL in developing and implementing targeted initiatives to enhance the technological capacity of Dubai's maritime sector, particularly in terms of smart navigation, digitisation, large data, information management and promotion of maritime innovation programmes, as part of our commitment to advancing the development of a safe, renewable and sustainable maritime sector that meets the needs of the future,” he added.

The workshop has attracted high levels of maritime industry leaders, decision-makers, government officials, policy makers and representatives of international companies operating in the maritime sector, providing an ideal platform to showcase future visions on how to adapt modern technology to serve the plans of upgrading maritime components.

A series of interactive sessions were held under the supervision of Captain Stephen Bligh, head of maritime advisory, Region South East Europe and Middle East, DNV GL – Maritime.

The sessions have discussed the digitalisation development and technological innovation that support growth, sustainability and prosperity of the maritime sector. In addition to exploring global maritime innovation prospects, the workshop tackled the successes of DNV GL in advancing maritime research, development and innovation, and showcasing the evolution of smart navigation and self-propelled vessels, and the role of research activities and innovative initiatives under the umbrella DNV GL in shaping a better future for the global maritime industry.

Mahmoud Ewidah, director of information technology, DMCA, said: “The workshop was as expected, providing a strategic platform for local and international leaders to share successful knowledge and experiences in building maritime innovation, exploring the key opportunities emerging from technological innovations related to large data and digitisation and their role in reshaping the future of the maritime sector, to explore ways to develop innovative methodologies, new tools and promising opportunities to employ modern technology which reflect our ambitious aspirations to build an integrated and competitive maritime economy in support of national plans to move to the post-oil phase.”

“The workshop has attracted a wide participation from the world's leading maritime industry, amid of recognition to the importance of the event in promoting knowledge transfer channels, keeping abreast of the latest global developments in innovation, technology and sustainability, and encouraging the exchange of experiences related to research, innovation, smart navigation, digitisation and large data with aim to find effective solutions to emerging challenges and opportunities to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of local and global maritime sector components,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service