Expo City Dubai and the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA) have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate sustainable urban innovation. This collaboration leverages Expo City’s cutting-edge Urban Lab as a real-world testbed for UICCA’s Launchpad initiatives, fostering the development and deployment of transformative climate solutions.

Expo City Dubai, the legacy city of Expo 2020 Dubai, is an innovation-driven, people-centric community rooted in the belief that collaboration can propel sustainable progress.

Under the agreement, UICCA is providing promising urban innovations, and Expo City is offering a real-world environment to test and validate those initiatives. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement that accelerates the development and deployment of cutting-edge urban technologies.

Dedicated to piloting new solutions that enhance the urban environment, improve quality of life and promote sustainability, Urban Lab provides a safe, secure and regulatory-compliant sandbox environment for innovators, entrepreneurs and businesses. This environment can be customised to enable live testing of physical and digital solutions, using the city’s 200,000 live data points from sensors, cameras, IoT and other sources to validate testing results, while innovators also have access to Expo City’s existing datasets, which can be used to highlight challenges and facilitate commercialisation.

UICCA is a pioneering organisation dedicated to accelerating climate action by growing the green economy.

Expo City Dubai offers 200,000 live data points from sensors, cameras, IoT and other sources to validate testing results.

UICCA’s President and CEO Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan says: “Nurturing new technology and forging closer partnerships between the public and private sectors is vital to the UAE’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Through UICCA’s Launchpad, we are accelerating the growth of green startups and SMEs by providing them with tailored mentorship, regulatory guidance and direct access to investors, ensuring they have the resources needed to scale their solutions in the UAE. By combining innovative ventures from  Launchpad with Expo City’s state-of-the-art Urban Lab testbed and supportive business ecosystem, we will strengthen our ability to grow the green economy and support our nation’s bold climate targets.”

UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority, Reem Al Hashimy says: “Collaborating and innovating for a better future is at the heart of Expo City Dubai’s purpose and supports the UAE’s vision for sustainable social and economic growth. Our agreement with UICCA not only helps us find solutions that address real-world climate and urban development challenges, but also ensures they are supported, thoroughly evaluated and implemented, demonstrating how a human-centric approach to technological development can lead to meaningful, long-lasting change.”

Expo City will also support UICCA’s Launchpad, organising virtual workshops, providing mentorship and helping participants bring their projects to the testing phase. Launchpad connects climate-focused startups with major stakeholders and leaders across the private and public sectors, offering a dedicated pathway for their development.

Strategically positioned within Dubai’s growth corridor next to Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) and Al Maktoum International Airport, Expo City’s masterplan aligns with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, serving as a blueprint for sustainable urban development. With its commitment to achieving net-zero by 2050 and hosting numerous global events, Expo City is a testament to human ingenuity and a catalyst for a sustainable future.

The city already welcomes a diverse range of local and global organisations to its sustainability- and innovation-focused free zone, with a range of programmes and initiatives boosting its appeal as a hub for innovators. This includes the recent launch of the Changemakers Academy – an innovation and entrepreneurship incubator for young innovators that will incentivise creative problem-solving and unearth bold solutions to social and environmental challenges relevant to the UAE.

Designed as a blueprint for sustainable urban living and one of five hubs on the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, Expo City’ roadmap to achieving net zero by 2050 and its broader decarbonisation targets raise the bar on responsible urban development. Packed with educational, cultural and entertainment offerings, with more than 30 indoor and outdoor venues attracting globally significant events, it celebrates human creativity and ingenuity and inspires future generations.