New Industrial Group EDGE of UAE will boost global defense and security industry.

Innovations and technologies for Defense and Security industries will be boosted in UAE (United Arab Emirates) by the new Industrial Group EDGE who was launched on November 5, 2019, by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

EDGE, a new Industrial Group in UAE has been launched to develop Global Defense and Security Industry.  (Picture source EDGE)

With the new industrial Group EDGE, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be a key player in the Defense and Security industry providing new innovations and advanced technology at the international level. Starting with break-through innovations in the high investment defence sector, and with a priority on national security, EDGE is consolidating more than 25 entities, including subsidiaries from the Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), Emirates Advanced Investments Group (EAIG), Tawazun Holding, and other independent organisations.

Consolidating over 25 entities and employing more than 12,000 brilliant minds, EDGE will offer expertise in five core clusters including Combat Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Cyber Defence, Electronic Warfare & Intelligence and Mission Support.

According to a report published during the edition 2019 of IDEX, the International Defense Exhibition which takes place every two years in UAE, the country has developed locally an increasingly sophisticated defence industry. In recent years, the UAE has made several important contracts with foreign countries regarding the delivery of military equipment developed and designed to respond to the new threats of modern battlefields.

Externally, the UAE Armed Forces has been active in supporting other nations and contributing to resolving international crises. The conflict in Yemen and the large-scale postings of the UAE military overseas have highlighted a greater need for logistics and maintenance equipment for its expeditionary forces, as well as better surveillance and intelligence capabilities.

In contributing to innovation and advanced technology growth, EDGE will develop deeper partnerships with world-leading industry OEMs and defence contractors, the SME sector and academia alike. Accelerating the rate of innovation, it will also be attracting elite industry experts and talent from around the globe, to help on a wide spectrum of modern product development, ranging from ideation to building cross-domain capabilities over its five core business clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Cyber Defence, Electronic Warfare & Intelligence, and Mission Support.

The company is set to implement advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, advanced propulsion systems, robotics, and smart materials, with a focus on artificial intelligence across all its products and services.

Commenting on EDGE, His Excellency Tareq Abdul Raheem Al Hosani, Chief Executive Officer of Tawazun Economic Council (the UAE's Defence Enabler) said: "We are invested in managing the uncertainty that technology brings by adapting our focus and capabilities towards a sustainable defence and security industry. EDGE will help us transform our domestic capabilities while growing our engagements on defence and security exports."