The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has officially launched a new innovation center dubbed ADIA Lab, on the 51st National Day of the UAE, with a $100,000 research award.
Announced earlier this year in October, ADIA Lab was conceptualized to play a proactive role in contributing to the continued development of Abu Dhabi’s digital ecosystem, with an emphasis on projects with real-world applications that could lead to the creation of start-ups.
On its launch, the center issued a call for papers for a study titled “ADIA Lab Award for Causal Research in Investments” with the $100,000 prize to be divided between the top three submissions.
Set up by ADIA, which invests funds on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi, the ADIA Lab will function as an independent entity guided by an Advisory Board. The objective of the lab is to track the latest trends in data and computational sciences including cutting-edge research in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and High-Performance and Quantum Computing.
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Thanks to its wider mandate that goes beyond investment-related applications, the areas of focus for the lab include everything from climate change, energy transition, automation, and cybersecurity, to twohe blockchain, financial inclusion, investing, telecommunications and space.
“At ADIA Lab, we conduct science of the highest quality, encourage multidisciplinary collaboration, and solve large-scale and complex problems through a team science approach,” said Dr. Horst Simon, Director of ADIA Lab, and advisory board member.
World-Class Lab
Joining him on the board are luminaries from prestigious universities like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as recipients of eminent awards such as the Turing Award, and the Rousseeuw Prize, along with members of prominent research groups from all over the world.
“We have attracted a world-class Advisory Board to guide and oversee the activities of ADIA Lab, and we commence operations today with a schedule of activities that will continue to grow over the coming weeks and months,” said Dr. Simon.
One of the objectives of the lab is to connect and collaborate with global experts in the data and computational science community. In line with this, it has reached agreements with a number of domestic and international universities to conduct a range of activities.
These include the Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, New York University Abu Dhabi, University of Toronto, Canada, and Institut Louis Bachelier, France.
“One of the key drivers at ADIA Lab is our collaboration with leading academic institutions, both here in the UAE and globally, in support of the growth of Abu Dhabi as an international hub for technology and innovation,” stressed Dr. Simon.
