The Emirates Group’s annual innovation platform, ForsaTEK brings together the organisation’s formidable technology and industry partnerships, start-up ecosystem, highly sought after thought leaders and speakers, youth, plus new concepts and ideas. This year, a new partnership, a robotics zone, and demos of futuristic tech stole the spotlight.

ForsaTEK was officially opened by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group in the presence of His Excellency Dr Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, UAE’s Minister of Youth Affairs and the first Arab to perform a spacewalk. Also present at the event were dignitaries  and senior Emirates Group executives. 

HH Sheikh Ahmed said: “With technology and innovation having such a transformative impact on our industry and lives every day, launching ForsaTEK was absolutely the right thing to do. It aligns with our vision and our role, both in the industry and globally. Last year’s event proved to be a powerful learning and networking opportunity for our stakeholders and our employees.

“On a much larger scale this year, a key focus for ForsaTEK is displaying innovation in action. More than ever, our industry needs to collaborate and partner with key stakeholders – from government entities and tech partners to start-ups and industry titans from different fields. ForsaTEK weaves together different strands, technology, ideas, concepts, commitment and intent to bring brave and revolutionary new solutions to the table.”

Keynotes and panels

HE Dr Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi delivered the first keynote speech, which was centred around the importance of youth to innovation. This was followed by thought-provoking panel discussions on the corporate venture world, humanoid robots and aviation, the collision of AI with other technologies, Dubai’s role in shaping the future, innovation proximity, and the relentless march of robotics.

Senior executives and thought leaders from Dubai Future Foundation, Meta, Microsoft, Block Gemini, Boardwalk Robotics and prestigious universities articulated their vision, perspectives and challenges at the event. The Emirates Group’s senior leadership addressed how innovation will shape the travel industry. 
 
Partners and partnerships  

At ForsaTEK, the Emirates Group announced its agreement with Onyx by J.P. Morgan, the firm’s blockchain business unit, and the first organisation to come under the Group’s recently launched Blockchain Development Centre. The collaboration will focus on research and development, education, and implementation of blockchain technology. It will provide the Group with cutting-edge finance blockchain solutions tailored to the aviation industry, enhancing its financial operations and customer experiences.

The Group’s Blockchain Development Centre has four pillars: collaboration and advocacy; R&D; education and coaching; and innovation.

This year, the Emirates Group’s partners enthralled visitors with an eclectic and engaging mix of innovation and technology. Demos included AI-centred activations by AWS, caged drone by e&, Gen AI Avatar by Microsoft, and Smart Trolley by Airbus. EasyMile showcased its drones and autonomous vehicles, HiveRobotics its cleaning bot for aircraft seats, Holoplot its innovation audio technology, SITA its Flexbox, and the Technical University of Munich its futuristic robotic skins. Web3 demos included spatial computing, blockchain and biometric payments.

Start-up souk 

Start-ups from the Aviation X Lab and Intelak accelerator programmes came in full force in a souk-style space to demonstrate their ideas and cool tech. They pitched their POCs (proof of concept) and their vision to revolutionise aviation and travel to a large audience of VIPs, investors, and the wider tech industry.

Youth

ForsaTEK also serves to inspire and educate youth with university and secondary school students attending the event in large numbers. Prizes were awarded to students who best addressed a challenge launched in April on how wearable technology can be used to support baggage handlers at Dubai airport.

*ForsaTEK is derived from ‘Forsa’, which means ‘your opportunities’ in Arabic, and is also a play on ‘technology’ and Emirates (code ‘EK’). 
 
About Intelak 
The Emirates Group created Intelak, a start-up incubator and accelerator programme in collaboration with partners Amadeus, Microsoft, Accenture, and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. The programme is designed to identify and support start-ups in the travel, tourism, and aviation sectors, and to provide mentorship, resources, and funding opportunities to help them grow and succeed. The incubator is helping drive innovation and disruption in these sectors and is contributing to the growth and development of the broader start-up ecosystem in the UAE and beyond. Intelak has nurtured and supported a number of start-ups that have gone on to achieve significant growth and success. Visit: https://intelak.com/ 
 
About Aviation X Lab 
Aviation X Lab is a visionary partnership between the Emirates Group, Collins Aerospace, Thales, Airbus, and GE Aerospace that aims to transform the aviation industry by enhancing the customer journey. Through a series of moonshots launched in every cycle, Aviation X Lab brings together start-ups, corporations, governments, and academia to develop breakthrough solutions that push the boundaries of possibilities in aviation. The platform focuses on diverse themes – from sustainability to safety and efficiency – with the ultimate goal of creating a seamless and enjoyable experience for customers. By leveraging the latest technologies, data analytics, and cross-disciplinary expertise, Aviation X Lab is revolutionising air travel and shaping the future of the industry in alignment with the UAE's visionary national agenda, 2071.  Visit: https://www.theaviationxlab.com/

Both organisations have signed an agreement to develop an immersive Extended Reality (iXR) platform and capability for the Emirates Group’s cabin crew, new joiners, and the wider industry partner community. 3D virtual hubs, virtual training, gamified environments, simulated experiences – all this and infinitely more are in the offing as the Group adds on ground-breaking features and technology to the platform.

iXR, powered by AWS spatial computing and artificial intelligence, will deliver technical capabilities with photorealistic experiences. Designed to meet employees on their stomping grounds, iXR experiences will be available across next-gen wearables and hand-held devices, including tablets and mobiles, with a consistent, hi-fidelity experience, streamed from the cloud.

In the first phase, iXR will have three distinct capabilities – a collaborative hub and social space; cabin crew training; and employee onboarding.

An Emirates Virtual Hub will welcome employees to engaging and interactive brand experiences.

iXR will introduce an unparalleled 3D interactive experience to the airline’s award-winning cabin crew by leveraging advanced technology to create a truly immersive environment. Here, crew will be transported into a meticulously constructed digital universe with virtual classrooms, engage with and learn from seasoned facilitators and peers, and navigate the intricate interiors of the airline’s flagship A380s and Boeing 777s. The environment will feature cabin service trainers, photorealistic avatars, and spatial audio for an authentic, sensory experience that enhances Emirates’ hospitality ethos.

The hyperreal virtual world will enable the Emirates Group’s new recruits to quickly and visually learn more about the organisation and its extensive business, the people and its culture, their own roles, and living in Dubai. Embedded support services will create a seamless onboarding experience for successful candidates.

Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said: “The Emirates Group is synonymous with innovation and for always setting the bar high in the aviation industry. Our vision is to build a meaningful, practical and rewarding XR capability that takes advantage of AI’s evolution. We are using XR capability that is scalable and spans across the breadth of our Group’s brands and businesses. In the first phase, iXR will help cabin crew interact and familiarise themselves with the platform in an interactive, high-fidelity 3D environment which they can explore at their convenience, leading to greater knowledge transfer and employee satisfaction. During this phase, we will also develop our employee experience using iXR to seamlessly assimilate our people within the Group’s business, community and culture.

“iXR, which is on-track for launch later in the year, will establish us as the first and only airline with an embedded extended reality platform connecting its operations. It reflects our commitment to spearhead and entrench innovation and cutting-edge technologies in aviation for the benefit of our customers, communities and the industry.”

Al Opher, VP of Professional Services, AWS said: “Extended Reality (XR) is a rapidly emerging technology that will propel the aviation industry into the future. It will have a profound impact on training, design, and innovative service propositions in safe environments that are immersive, performance-oriented, and efficient. We are thrilled to support the Emirates Group’s transition into the 3D Web era by offering expertise in infrastructure, AI, and spatial computing solutions as well as our AWS Professional Services colleagues - global experts in these fields - to bring this technology to life. This collaboration will further equip Emirates employees to deliver unique and consistent end customer experiences. Together, we are revolutionizing the travel industry and raising the bar for new, exemplary experiences.”

iXR will feature advanced technologies including Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, the world’s most open and advanced real-time 3D tool, offering developers flexible, scalable, secure, and reliable real-time capabilities on AWS' cloud.

Dubai and the UAE are blazing the way in the digital economy with a clear vision, supported by practical policies and regulatory frameworks across virtual assets, AI, and data protection.

The Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2020 is being repurposed as a hub to develop cutting-edge future experiences aligned with the UAE’s vision for the digital economy. The Emirates Group continues to engage with industry partners on its Web3 strategy, and recruit talent for projects in its pipeline.

Emirates pioneered web virtual reality (VR) technology on emirates.com and its app more than 6 years ago, offering an immersive 3D, 360-degree view of its aircraft cabin interiors. Emirates also has its own VR app on the Oculus store, offering users accurate, life-size and interactive cabin interior experiences onboard Emirates’ flagship A380s and Boeing 777-300ER Gamechanger aircraft.