The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi inks strategic partnership with Masdar City, Xlife Sciences, and Thermo Fisher Scientific

On the sidelines of its participation at Arab Health 2024, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Masdar City, a pioneering sustainable urban community and a world-class business and technology hub, Xlife Sciences, a Swiss company that focuses on the value development and commercialisation of promising early-stage biotech and med-tech research projects, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science whose, mission is to enable its customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. The agreement will see all parties working alongside DoH to enable and support innovation within Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector, driving clinical research and clinical trial activities, and developing an eco-system to support the Emirate’s life science start-ups.

In the presence of HE Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of DoH and Ahmad Baghoum, CEO of Masdar City, the MoU was signed by Dr. Asma Ibrahim Al Mannaei, the Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at DoH, Mohamed Al Breiki, Executive Director of Sustainable Development from Masdar City, Oliver R. Baumann Xlife Sciences CEO, and Sarah Chahine, Emerging Markets Sales Leader for Clinical Sequencing Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

In line with the Department’s ongoing efforts to accelerate innovation in Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector, the MoU will allow innovators to test and further develop their solutions through extensive incubation to deliver market-ready offerings while leveraging the Emirate’s advanced infrastructure for start-ups. Furthermore, all parties will work on driving research and form project groups that support evidence generation, thus improving the quality of clinical trials in Abu Dhabi.

On this occasion, Dr. Asma Ibrahim Al Mannaei, the Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at DoH said: “We are delighted to be forging this strategic partnership with our partners from across the world to further strengthen our research capabilities and drive innovation in healthcare. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) remains committed to providing the world with innovative solutions, evidence-based research, and supporting start-ups from ideation to commercialisation.

These collaborations further cement Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading destination for healthcare, a global life sciences hub, and an incubator for healthcare innovation.” Masdar City, a world-class business and technology hub, already hosts a thriving ecosystem of leading global organisations that work together to create a more sustainable future. Healthcare and life sciences are one of many industry clusters at Masdar City, which also include Artificial Intelligence (AI), transportation, bio-tech, agri-tech, space tech, and renewable energy.

Mohamed Al Breiki, Masdar City’s Executive Director of Sustainable Development said: “Masdar City’s ecosystem, which includes investors, researchers, educators, and a free zone with businesses of all sizes, has been designed to foster innovation with high impact and low carbon footprint. We are the ideal place for this new partnership to grow. We look forward to creating sustainable and supportive spaces for healthcare startups, and witnessing the transformative solutions that they will create.”

Oliver R. Baumann, XLife Sciences CEO said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Abu Dhabi's life science ecosystem to transform innovative ideas into practical healthcare solutions. Our shared goal is to significantly boost clinical research and trials in Abu Dhabi, marking a new era of innovation in life sciences. Building on our partnership with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), we are now expanding this project with additional partners and a clear vision. We are committed to nurturing these promising ventures from concept to market, driving advancements in global health.”

Urmi Prasad Richardson, President of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Thermo Fisher Scientific commented: “Through the signing of this MoU, Thermo Fisher is committed to supporting the development and access to innovative healthcare solutions for those living in the Emirates. Working in partnership and leveraging our broad and deep experience in R&D, biotech, biopharma, material, and life sciences, we believe we can unlock new opportunities to meet local and regional health needs. We are delighted to align in this partnership our core strengths and mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.”