RTA holds government innovation lab to drive Smart City initiatives

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), has attended a session of the Government Innovation Lab focused on discussing the Smart City initiatives.

The event, also attended by a host of CEOs and Directors concerned with the Smart City initiatives at the RTA, was held by RTA’s Corporate Technology Support Services Sector in the Dubai Tram Depot, Al Sufouh in collaboration with modern technology specialist CISCO. The session was held in the context of RTA’s continuous endeavours to support the Dubai Government’s drive advocating the holding of government innovation labs.

During the first day’s session, Professor Sanjay Sharma, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spoke about the future of mobility and transportation functionality in smart cities. Attendees were divided into four teams to hold brainstorming sessions debating four topics i.e. Smart Transportation & Sustainability, infrastructure of smart roads & traffic management, smart vehicles, and the smart corporate transformation.

The following day’s session was featured by a visual presentation about excellence and scientific innovation delivered by Rabih Dabboussi, Regional Director of Cisco International Ltd. The session was then engaged in identifying ideas & initiatives generated by the four teams set up in the first day’s session, and pondered an implementation plan, and how to cope with the potential practical challenges.

"This lab is a quality step showcasing the commitment of RTA to support the government drive of holding of innovation labs aimed at improving performance through debating innovative ideas capable of nurturing a working environment befitting the profile of Dubai among the top cosmopolitans. These labs will also serve the predominant objective of making Dubai the Smartest City in the world," said Abdullah Al Madani, CEO of RTA’s Corporate Technology Support Services Sector.