Call to use new technology to enhance business efficiency

Dubai / WAM

The fifth Dubai Hamburg Business Forum organised in Dubai by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry on March 22, concluded with a call to make use of the latest developments in technology and innovation to enhance efficiency of business in various sectors.
Organised under the theme, ‘The Internet of Things – Innovation to Connect’, the forum was held in the presence of Majid Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber, Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber, and Fritz Horst Melsheimer, President of Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. It brought together leading organisations from Dubai and Germany to explore new horizons for fruitful cooperation between the business communities of Dubai and Hamburg.
Hamad Buamim stressed the importance of the digitisation of economies, and the success achieved by Dubai in making use of smart platforms to offer efficient services for businesses. Buamim said the 5th Dubai Hamburg Business Forum offered a major platform to discuss potential opportunities to promote business cooperation between Dubai and Hamburg, and tap into the efficiencies offered by latest technology, especially in the domain of the Internet of Things (IoT).
A panel discussion on ‘Smart Energy’ was participated in by Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Executive Director of Dubai Science Park, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rudiger Siechau, Managing Director, Stadtreinigung Hamburg, and Klaus Schweininger, Head of Finance at TRIMET Aluminium SE, Germany. The session highlighted engagement opportunities for companies in Dubai and Hamburg in achieving sustainable and diversified energy supply in the background of Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 and Hamburg’s ‘New 4.0’ Industry initiative.
In a discussion on ‘Public Sector Solutions for Smart Urban Living’, Mummar Khaled Al Katheeri, Executive Vice President – Engineering and Smart City, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, DSOA, introduced DSOA’s various initiatives to highlight how the Dubai Smart Government initiative is transforming the public and private sector.
A discussion on ‘Smart Logistics’ was addressed by Mohsen Ahmad, Vice President – Logistics, Dubai South, Yousif Almutawa, CIO, DP World, Dieter Spark, CEO, DAKOSY Datenkommunikationssystem AG, Germany, and Wolfgang Hurtienne, Managing Director, Hamburg Port Authority, Germany. The session shed light on the latest sector updates with a special focus on how the Internet of Things has streamlined and could further restructure operations within the area of
Maritime and Port Logistics.
The participants called for effective use of modern technologies in all logistic services to reduce costs, save time and provide speedy services. The session also called for modernisation of the regulations and efforts to improve the infrastructure to ensure maximum benefits from smart technologies, and offer the best services
The speakers stressed the importance of concerted efforts to fill the smart technology gap to contribute effectively towards developing services across the world. They emphasised the use of artificial intelligence and modern technologies such as drones to provide futuristic logistic services, and called for provision of information to simplify data transformation to enhance the logistic service sector.
The fourth panel discussion
focused on ‘Smart Health’ with the participation of Dr. Mohammad Al Redha, Director – The Executive Office for Organisation Transformation, Dubai Health Authority, Dr. Amer Sharif, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Healthcare City Authority – Education Sector, Dr. Johannes Jacubeit, CEO and Founder, connected-health.eu, Germany, and Patrick Postel, CEO, Silpion IT-Solutions GmbH.
The discussion explored how digitisation and existing applications in the healthcare sector can be further enhanced to achieve efficiency. The session identified potential areas of cooperation between Dubai and Hamburg, including research, development of new hospitals and clinics and provision of doctors. It also recommended inviting the business communities in both cities to attend health conferences. The speakers pointed out that a horizontal and vertical expansion of the digital health for the future of Dubai and Hamburg can play a big role in cooperation in the area of smart health.
The Hamburg delegation in the 5th Dubai Hamburg Business Forum later visited the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) headquarters to learn about Dubai’s achievements in the area of smart energy. The delegation also visited DP World Terminals 1 and 3 and were briefed about Dubai’s major initiatives in the Smart Logistics sector. Later, they visited Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Centre, DTEC, at Dubai Silicon Oasis to learn about Dubai’s experiences in public sector solutions for smart urban living.
Earlier, the 5th Dubai Hamburg Business Forum witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Hamburg Chamber of Commerce to increase cooperation and promote strategic partnerships to increase trade exchange between the two regions.
Since its launch in 2007, the Dubai Hamburg Business Forum has become an ideal platform for joint cooperation and partnership for the business communities of Dubai and Hamburg, and has led to a number of successful economic cooperation in various sectors by investors of both the strategic cities.
The Hamburg Metropolitan Region is one of Germany’s strongest economic regions and a central trading hub for Northern Europe. The port of Hamburg is one of the world’s largest container ports and is an important growth engine for the region. It takes the leading role in Germany in such industries as aviation, logistics, IT, renewable energies and media, while also playing a major global role. Hamburg is the third largest site for the aviation industry worldwide, with major players Airbus and Lufthansa Technik operating large facilities, and more than 30,000 employees in the industry.