Bayanat, a leading provider of AI-powered geospatial and smart mobility solutions, and Oxa, a pioneer in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, announced the formation of a strategic partnership aimed at advancing the development and deployment of autonomous vehicle solutions in the UAE and beyond.

This collaboration is supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) under its Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster, underscoring the UAE’s commitment to fostering innovation and technological advancement.

The partnership was officially inaugurated during a visit by a high-level delegation from Bayanat and ADIO to Oxa’s headquarters in Oxford, UK.

The collaboration will leverage Bayanat’s extensive AI-powered geospatial analytics capabilities and expertise in running autonomous vehicles alongside Oxa’s cutting-edge autonomous vehicle technologies to create innovative solutions for smart cities and autonomous transportation systems.

Abu Dhabi’s SAVI cluster was launched in 2023, creating a leading smart and autonomous vehicles hub in the MENA region to promote significant contributions across air, land and sea mobility applications.

SAVI supports innovation and the commercialization of smart and autonomous vehicle technologies in the UAE, unlocking their global potential by providing state-of-the art facilities and value-added services within an enabling regulatory environment.

The partnership between Bayanat and Oxa, endorsed by ADIO, is designed to create a regional powerhouse for developing and advancing autonomy across multiple verticals.

One of the key outcomes of the collaboration will be to explore the creation of an Autonomous Mobility Centre of Excellence, which will benefit from deep links across Abu Dhabi’s regional ecosystem.

The partnership also looks to promote the hiring and nurturing of local talent including software, hardware, and operations engineers, data scientists, legal professionals, and general support staff. T

his will be further supplemented with Oxa’s robust academic network, and its work with local academics and universities such as Mbzuai, on various topics, from future visions to engineering and entrepreneurship.

Bayanat and Oxa are also looking into partnering together to create cutting-edge services in the sector, supported by an advisory board formed from UAE industry representatives, along with senior leaders from Oxa.

Excited about the partnership with Oxa, Hasan Al Hosani, Managing Director of Bayanat, said: "This collaboration with Oxa marks a significant milestone in our journey towards revolutionising transportation and smart city solutions.

“By combining our expertise in geospatial analytics and operational capabilities in AV with Oxa’s leadership in autonomous vehicle technology, we are poised to create groundbreaking solutions that will enhance mobility, safety, and efficiency in urban areas.

“We are also grateful for the support from ADIO, which plays a crucial role in driving innovation and technological development in the region."

Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxa, said: "As a B2B company, we look for partners who have the vision and capabilities to help us bring our world-class autonomy solutions to a wide range of companies – and Bayanat and ADIO are those partners.

“Using the knowledge gained from our existing commercial deployments in the US and Bayanat’s technical capabilities and deep relationships throughout the GCC, we expect to accelerate the adoption of autonomy across multiple use cases.

Nayef Shahin, Director of Innovation and Knowledge at ADIO, said: “When ADIO launched the SAVI cluster last year, our objective was to create a platform in Abu Dhabi that would connect the greatest global and local mobility innovators to pioneer new exciting pathways for the future of land, air and sea transport.”

This partnership represents a significant step forward in autonomous vehicle technology, promising to deliver transformative solutions that will shape the future of urban mobility and smart city development, a statement said. – TradeArabia News Service