Khalifa University of Science and Technology today announced it has successfully won the bid to host the 53rd International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering () inĚýAbu Dhabi, UAE, fromĚý20–23 October 2026.

Supported by the Abu Dhabi Conventions & Exhibition Bureau, Khalifa University’s Department of Management Science and Engineering has completed the process for hosting the event that will include four days of discussions on knowledge exchange, collaboration and networking.

His Excellency Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, President, Khalifa University, said: “Khalifa University is proud to have won the bid to host the 53rd International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering () for the first time in the GCC region. We are also delighted to organize such an international event that will once again showcase the UAE’s industrial, research and academic capabilities engineering and management science. We believe the knowledge exchange and presence of global leaders will result in collaborations that will benefit not only the local but the regional economies as well.”

Participants will explore cutting-edge research and breakthroughs in industrial engineering, gain valuable insights from emerging start-ups, leading AI and engineering enterprises, and world-class scholars. expand professional networks with experts and peers from across the globe, as well as get inspired by the brightest minds shaping the future of this multi-faceted field.

Dr. Mecit Can Emre Simsekler, Chair of CIE53, Acting Chair, and Associate Professor, Department of Management Science said: “Khalifa University is honored to bring this world-renowned conference to Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Hosting CIE53 reflects our commitment to advancing research and innovation in industrial engineering, management science and related fields, and we look forward to welcoming global experts and scholars to Abu Dhabi.”

CIE53 continues the prestigious tradition of a conference series sponsored byĚýComputers & Industrial Engineering: An International Journal, published by Elsevier. The journal ranks in the top 4% among general engineering journals in this field.Ěý

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With the right support to kick off her journey, this entrepreneur took her research to market.

Salwa Alzahmi is the founder of the tech startup SPL Co. Ltd, award-winning research scientist and multiple patents holder. Having received her Master’s Degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Khalifa University in 2014, she is leading the software engineering research group at the Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC, established by Etisalat, British Telecom, and Khalifa University, and supported by the ICT Fund). Here, she shares her story of making the jump from researcher to entrepreneur and the challenges in taking her research work to the market.

There is a fire inside that is fuelled by passion and a willingness to solve problems

I have always been passionate about building my own products and addressing new trending market segments in technology, particularly software governance techniques, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.Ěý I participated in a number of research projects during my studies and even won the UAE IT Challenge Award for Best Educational Application, the Best Master Student Award at Khalifa University and the Khalifa University Research Excellency Award.

After my studies, I joined the workforce, starting as a software engineer for a start-up company, managing enterprise software. Working with smaller private companies that actually develop and deliver projects and with government companies leading the modernization agenda equipped me with vast and relevant hands-on experience.

The journey often starts with unique insights acquired during the early career and an inspiration that keeps you motivated

I had exposure to the struggle and limitations in IT processes and technologies when maintaining outsourced and legacy software systems. This gave me a unique advantage in understanding the gaps and opportunities in current IT systems. Hence, I was confident in my skills and the business opportunity for my research (SPL project). Based on this, I leveraged the output from my research at Khalifa University’s Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC) to build a successful product that became the foundation for my business.

I was curious about business when I was a researcher because it aligns very well with my goal of supporting the UAE’s growing knowledge economy. The UAE’s futuristic vision of championing the creation of smart government services, artificial intelligence solutions, cutting-edge data analytics, and other futuristic technologies has inspired me to put great effort into building my company. Such home-grown innovation entrenched in technology is exactly aligned with the government’s economic development priorities.

The mindset shift that was needed to move into entrepreneurship

I faced a number of challenges as I entered the entrepreneur space. As a scientist, I used to make decisions based on complete data or information. In contrast, an entrepreneur must have the ability to make decisions—such as starting a company—on incomplete data, and that means taking a risk, particularly when introducing a new technology like SPL that essentially creates a new market segment.

I had to get a basic understanding of the elementary financial aspects involved in business and legal topics such as contracts, liability and intellectual property. However, being a scientist, my research and learning skills helped me navigate the entrepreneurial pathway much faster. Coming from an engineering technology background, learning to put my thoughts into a business-oriented context was one of the most challenging parts. This was critical for enabling me to learn how to explain my business to customers and investors, as well as learn how to define my product’s unique selling points and to position my product in the market.

Global challenges addressed through local technological and business leadership

The UAE is a global leader in digitalization. A huge part of this is related to supporting local corporations to move to the cloud, integrating new forms of technologies that speed up, automate, and improve business. Since these technologies require heavy computational power and storage space, cloud computing is the optimal solution. My start-up, SPL Co., was founded to speed up the process of migrating software systems to the cloud, as this can take a long time and require a lot of resources with the traditional manual approach. Upgrading company-wide software was a challenge due to a lack of documentation and expert guidance. Adding to the complexity, the companies I worked with often lacked the resources and skills to modernize enterprise applications. SPL’s solution can reduce the cost of migration to the cloud by up to 30 percent. It is one of the first tools of its kind that provides an AI model for automatically identifying and composing the part of the system code that should be lifted to the cloud, and assists with micro-service implementation. SPL solution maps out the entire architecture of the software code within hours through the runtime and static code analysis powered by cutting edge artificial intelligence and automation technologies. It reduces the cost of re-architecting the monolithic application by up to 30% and transforms it into a cloud-native architecture.

Getting the right local support to kick-off the journey

Khalifa University, EBTIC and the Khalifa Innovation Center (KIC) helped me along the way. Khalifa University management realized at an early stage the importance of bringing industry and academia together at the research level to realize and accelerate innovation in the UAE. A great example of this is EBTIC, where the SPL project was born. SPLCo is a product of this system, which has provided me with the right platform and infrastructure to build the research foundation of SPL, prototype my solution and productize it with leading industrial partners. After a successful trial with BT in the UK, and the great recognition we got from the local and international communities, I received further support from EBTIC to fund the SPL product development. Through this, I was able to form my great team, Dr. Corrado Mio, Ahmed Sulaiman, Dr. Sid Shakya, and Dr. Ivan Boyd, who have supported me in this journey, along with the support received from EBTIC management, especially Dr. Nawaf Almoosa. EBTIC helped tremendously in developing my entrepreneurial skills, giving me the opportunity to work very closely for three months with an international consultancy firm to build the SPL business case.

Getting the right local support to accelerate the startup journey

The Khalifa Innovation Center (KIC) is a one-of-a-kind center in the UAE, focusing on deep tech start-ups derived from successful research projects conducted in local universities and research centers. The center supports innovation and the knowledge economy of the country, and the incubation program clearly outlined the key steps to develop my business from different perspectives. Coming from an engineering background, learning to put my thoughts in a business-oriented context was a huge benefit. Early intervention by industry professionals through a mentoring program was also vital in supporting the initial development of my start-up.

Digital transformation is a reality that a corporation cannot escape. SPL Co. is here to help overcome the challenges involved in upgrading legacy software and moving companies to the cloud.Ěý

Jade Sterling
Science Writer
29 April 2021

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Eight New Technology Concepts in Electronics, Communication, Energy, Healthcare, Water and RoboticsĚýShowcased at Bootcamp

Khalifa Innovation Center (KIC), a collaboration initiative by Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, Tawazun, Mubadala Investment Company, and Sandooq Al Watan, announced a total of 24 participants representing 8 startups joined its Virtual Innovation-Based Entrepreneurship Bootcamp that aims at develop technical innovation in these startups and put it into commercial context for further discussions towards potential funding.

All the participating projects have sound technologies but they face ‘startup’ challenges. Just as any startup, they require either funding, or a complete team, or a partner who can provide co-development project support, which are offered by KIC, an innovative incubation center based at Khalifa University premises. The eight startups validated their entrepreneurship concepts during the five-day ‘Lab-to-Market’ bootcamp.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “The intense participation and the technologies that were showcased at KIC’s Lab-to-Market bootcamp illustrate the extent of youth involvement in launching science and engineering startups. These transformative ideas also reflect their awareness of the latest technology trends and their enthusiasm for bringing into existence promising concepts with potential commercial applications, in line with the Innovation Strategy of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. We believe the startups chosen for further discussions would lead to the fruition of those young entrepreneurs’ dream projects with KIC’s support infrastructure and encouragement.”

Mouza Obaid Al Nasri, Acting CEO, Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, said: “Since its inception, Khalifa Fund – one of the founding partners of the Khalifa Innovation Centre – has heavily contributed towards spreading the spirit of entrepreneurship and encouraging innovation in the market, with a particular emphasis on the ever-thriving technology sector.

“We’re delighted to example this through the ‘From the Lab to the Market’Ěýtraining program, which aims to enhance the capabilities and skillset of entrepreneurs and contribute to theĚý further establishment of a strong and favourable business environment for the development and growth of emerging projects in the tech industry, as well as all other innovative sectors. We are fully prepared to continue to offer our expertise beyondĚýFrom the Lab to the MarketĚýprogram, by providing counselling and training for entrepreneurs in the Khalifa Innovation Centre on a frequent basis.”

She concluded: “The ideas and participating projects reflect a tangible development in the quality and distinctiveness of advanced projects, both in terms of their economic viability and in terms of applicability of their impact in enhancing the business environment in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”

The bootcamp, organized at the KIC premises, was led by Dr Sami Bashir, Director, Technology Management and Innovation Office, Khalifa University, and Nouf Naser Al Jaafari, as well as KIC’s Mohamed Al Hashmi and Tariq Ahmed Syed. An elite panel of experts and judges who joined the final pitch sessions included Ahmed Fikri, Acting Director-General, Sandooq Al Watan, Elodie Guillerm from Gotham (Hub 71 Accelerator), Salim Bin Shabib, Chairman, Innovative Committee, Department of Economic Development-Abu Dhabi, Johan Maree from Mohamed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) and Qussay Abdul Wahab, Manager, from the Innovation Unit at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development.

The 24 participants, representing eight science/engineering startup projects in the fields of electronics, communication, energy, healthcare, water and robotics, pitched their concepts before the panelists, who provided them with additional insight on how to translate their ideas into successful products.

In addition to external participants with science/engineering ideas, eight Khalifa University researchers, five faculty members and an alumnus joined the bootcamp, which aimed to develop science or engineering transformative ideas into successful startups. The event provided participants with insight and tools to help translate their ideas into successful products, using a defined commercialization roadmap.

The five-day KIC Virtual Innovation-Based Entrepreneurship Bootcamp helped participants to understand innovation aspects associated with the idea, validate the technology through execution of successful proof-of-concept and prototype projects, establish effective business models, develop robust financial framework, and be ready to pitch the technology to potential investors.

Each day of the bootcamp was focused on one key area, with the first day highlighting ‘Mindset Change and Ideas Evaluation and Scoping’, which helped participants to state clearly the problem and the solution that their technology can provide. The second day introduced aspects of ‘Intellectual Property and Market Landscape’ to help participants identify the knowhow resources, potential stakeholders and customers, as well as competitors related to their technologies.

In the following days participants engaged in hands-on exercises to develop efficient ways to identify novel attributes related to their technologies, effective ways to build prototypes and proof-of-concepts to validate their technology, and establish more engaging and realistic business models. The concluding day on ‘Let Us Think Startup’ saw teams working together in finalizing a clear identity of the startup and preparing a brief presentation.

Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
6 September 2020

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Top 50 Talented Students Selected from UAE Schools to Learn about Innovation Process, Business Development, Commercialization Skills and IP Issues at Four-Day Bootcamp

The Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC) and Khalifa University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Education, are organizing the fourth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp to teach the young Emirati students ways to turn fledgling ideas into a feasible business ventures in the future.

Organized under the patronage of His Excellency Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, UAE Minister of Education, the bootcamp will be held from March 31 – April 3. It will teach participating students the innovation process, business development, commercialization skills, entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property (IP) issues.

A total of top 50 talented students have already been selected from schools across UAE to participate in the four-day bootcamp. Their selection was based on the winning projects they had submitted for the UAE National Science, Technology and Innovation (NSTI) Festival 2019, an event modelled after Ireland’s successful BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE). The Bootcamp will be developed and delivered in partnership with British Telecommunications (BT) and EBTIC.

Dr. Nawaf Al Moosa, Acting Director of EBTIC and Assistant Professor at Khalifa Universitysaid: “The fourth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp by EBTIC is designed to inspire young students to effectively plan and execute their business concepts through the path of innovation. We are delighted to host this event for the students, offering them a platform for charting their future course. We believe the bootcamp this year will help nurture the talented students who can hone their skillsets for developing into full-fledged professionals in various business sectors.”

The students will be divided into teams of six each, with a professional mentor, and they will be guided through a series of interactive workshops and challenges with the purpose of developing a business or investment proposition around a specific project. Expert speakers will also cover interesting and relevant topics such as innovation, intellectual property and creativity during the workshops.

On the final day of the bootcamp, students will present their business plans as a team to a judging panel comprising academics and senior business executives or professionals, selected from industry, academia, government and media.

EBTIC is an ICT research and innovation center founded by Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Etisalat and BT, and supported by ICT Fund.

News Writer
24 March 2019

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Panel of Judges Selects Student Team that Presents the Most Innovative and Pragmatic Business Concept for Top Award

Under the patronage of His Excellency Eng. Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education and Vice Chairman of the Khalifa University Board of Trustees, more than 40 students from across schools in the UAE participated in the fourth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp organized by the Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC) and Khalifa University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Education.

The bootcamp that opened on 31 March, successfully concluded with an awards ceremony on 3 April. It was attended by industry, academia and government stakeholders as well as technology leaders with an excellent track record in initiating and leading business start-ups.

The student team that presented the most innovative and pragmatic business concept was declared winners. In all, a total of six teams participated in the fiercely contested challenge in which the students showcased and presented their projects to a panel of judges. The judges’ panel comprised academics and senior business professionals, selected from industry, academia, government and the media.

His Excellency Al Hammadi said: “The fourth EBTIC Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp is one of the pioneering initiatives that supports the UAE’s progress, through inspiring innovation, a key focus area in the country’s future strategy. The Ministry of Education always aims to achieve an innovative school community, in order to build a scientifically-tuned future generation. This bootcamp provides the right environment to students and guides them towards developing new capabilities and expanding knowledge, especially through research and investigation that help transform ideas into projects, benefiting the community.

“Initiatives such as this bootcamp are fertile grounds for encouraging creativity, helping students to expand their knowledge, especially through practical lectures and workshops in innovation, business development, marketing, entrepreneurship, intellectual property. The bootcamp also emphasizes strengthening the student’s connection with each new and enhancing aspect of planning, study and research in important developmental sectors,” he remarked.

His Excellency Al Hammadi added: “The participants, chosen through the National Festival of Science, Technology and Innovation (NSTI) held in February 2019, are already distinguished in knowledge and research. We expect them to have a scientifically and professionally promising future. And we believe the bootcamp will help build well-informed future leaders suitable for the UAE’s sustainable knowledge economy.”

Eng. Saleh Abdullah Al Abdooli, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat, said: “Etisalat has always believed in laying the foundation for the future, nurturing creativity and fostering the growth of tomorrow’s innovators, future scientists and engineers. Innovation and digital transformation are key to our success and a result of our vision at the next level of development that has led the company to play a greater role in the digital lives of consumers and enterprises.

“This collaboration with EBTIC is in line with our strategy ‘Driving the digital future to empower societies’ that will pave the way for smarter solutions and applications, mentor the next generation of young UAE innovators and entrepreneurs and contribute towards an innovative knowledge-based economy. Etisalat is constantly looking to tap into the possibilities of the booming startup ecosystem. We are looking for avenues to support entrepreneurial growth by creating partnerships that will provide them the platform to grow and showcase their abilities. We are able to work together with these young innovators and entrepreneurs to imagine, design and co-create the future. This has led to Etisalat actively contributing to UAE’s national innovation strategy where digital technology is also one of the top seven primary national sectors.

“The association with EBTIC’s fourth ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp’ will give a platform to the youth to develop STEM skills enabling them to translate their fresh and innovative ideas into solutions that will contribute to the development of the society and economy.”

Eyad Shihabi, Vice-President, Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, BT, said: “The innovation and entrepreneurship bootcamp is designed to bridge the gap between the worlds of education and business, as well as inspire and mentor the next generation of innovators. Over the past few days, some of the brightest young minds in the UAE presented their creative inventions and business propositions, and the talent on display was inspiring. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Khalifa University and the UAE Ministry of Education through EBTIC, to create a learning platform wherein students can develop skills for life.”

Dr. Nawaf Al Moosa, Acting Director of EBTIC and Assistant Professor at Khalifa University said: “The fourth EBTIC Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp proved even more successful than the previous years with enthusiastic participation by students who developed some of the most innovative business concepts. The student teams’ presentation skills, honed by the team mentors, were remarkable. We thank all the stakeholders and partners for their support to this bootcamp and we hope to continue our efforts towards building and nurturing young talent.”

Earlier, a BT official offered an overview of the bootcamp that aims to teach participating students the innovation process, business development, commercialisation skills, entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property (IP) issues.

The six participating teams had a professional mentor, who guided the students through a series of interactive workshops in order to help the students develop a business or investment proposition around a specific project.

EBTIC is an ICT research and innovation center, founded by Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Etisalat and BT, and supported by the ICT Fund.

News Writer
03 April 2019

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