‘Building the Future’ Meeting in Dubai
UAE – Digital Infrastructure for the 4th Industrial Revolution
The growth in demand for digital infrastructure is staggering, and in a dynamic fast paced and visionary economy like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the need to deliver new technologies and IT solutions to support them has never been greater.
Already there have been announcements on innovations such as flying taxis, blockchain, a mission to Mars and huge Government expenditure on smart city technology and the appointment Minister for Artificial Intelligence for the UAE. With such fast-paced change there has never been a more important time to communicate with peers in order to share ideas, information and learnings and plan for the future of the Nation’s digital infrastructure.
Infrastructure Masons (IM) was established in Silicon Valley in 2016 as a means for leaders and technical professionals responsible for digital infrastructure to share knowledge, advance the industry, attract new talent to the industry as a career path, develop and support education programs and give back to the industry. IM now encompasses the thinking of some of the biggest names in technology such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple all seeking to ensure they have the talent and knowledge to deliver the digital infrastructure for the next generation of innovation. In addition, a dedicated workstream seeks to attract female students, entrepreneurs and engineers to join the industry as part of a drive for diversity and innovation.
We held our inaugural gathering in Dubai on Sunday December 9th 2018 at Emirates Towers in Area 2071.
This event was the first in the region to bring together the digital infrastructure leaders and innovators in UAE. Dean Nelson, the original founder of IM was interviewed by Dan Murphy from CNBC on the future of digital infrastructure and the key industry challenges as seen by members and the Advisory Committee. Dean shared his experiences outlined promising achievements to date including technology research, environmental programmes, education and scholarships.
Two interactive working sessions were held to brainstorm key challenges in the UAE digital infrastructure industry. Time was also allocated for informal networking with industry peers.
Timings and Agenda
Thanks to the fabulous Area 2071 for hosting the event at the Emirates Towers, Dubai.
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Guest welcome, registration and networking |
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Welcome and Introduction to iMasons Local Chapter (Vision and Objectives) |
| 09:15 – 10:15 | Fireside Chat with Dean Nelson |
| 10:15 – 10:45 | Break |
| 10:45 – 12:00 | Think Tank Workshops |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Think Tank Feedback & wrap-up |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Light lunch |
Registration
Registration for this event is closed.
Recognition
IM wants to thank Pure Data Centres Group for sponsoring this event.
This event is hosted in AREA 2071, an open innovation and collaboration ecosystem which works on connecting and bringing together disruptive government and multinationals, startups, venture capital, academia, accelerators, incubators, talented youth, and the public with the ultimate goal of solving for humanity’s biggest challenges.
