Identifying, testing and scaling sustainable urban development solutions, Expo City Dubai and UICCA team up to drive climate action

Expo City Dubai and UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA) have signed a cooperation agreement that combines the expertise of both entities to identify, test and scale innovative sustainable urban development solutions, reflecting a shared commitment to supporting the growth of the UAE’s climate tech sector.

Under the agreement, UICCA will identify potential mature or near-market-ready innovations from its pool of initiatives, with selected projects gaining access to Expo City’s Urban Lab – an advanced city-wide testbed where innovators can integrate their technologies into the city's existing infrastructure to observe how they interact with the real challenges and dynamics of urban life.

Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of UICCA, said: “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 the 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.”

Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority, said: “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.”

Dedicated to piloting new solutions that enhance the urban environment, improve quality of life and promote sustainability, Expo City’s 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.

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

Strategically located next to Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) and Al Maktoum International Airport, Expo City’s master plan cements its position as the centre of Dubai’s future, providing a home for key sectors driving Dubai’s Economic Agenda (D33) and – as one of five hubs on the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan – offering a blueprint for sustainable urban development.

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.