FBR and the Ministry wish to exchange information, collaborate and cooperate in relation to the application of modern building methods, smart support systems, and other construction technologies in the housing and construction sectors of the UAE
FBR and the Ministry will complete a feasibility study of the Hadrian X in the construction sector in the UAE. — File photo
By Staff Report
Published: Sun 3 Apr 2022, 4:41 PM
FBR Australia, the world’s first automated construction robotic technology company, has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
A statement said that FBR and the Ministry wish to exchange information, collaborate and cooperate in relation to the application of modern building methods, smart support systems, and other construction technologies in the housing and construction sectors of the UAE, with a particular focus on the Hadrian X and what it could deliver to the region.
The MoU will see FBR and the ministry identifying opportunities for the introduction and adoption of FBR’s robotic construction technology, solutions and services to serve the construction sector in the UAE and exploring the potential for local manufacturing.
“This MoU reiterates our commitment to the GCC region by establishing a framework for cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure,” said FBR’s Managing Director & CEO, Mike Pivac.
He added that FBR and the Ministry also intend to collaborate on the demonstration of the utility and the effectiveness of the Hadrian X and other robotic technologies to various stakeholders in the UAE through the implementation of pilot building programs in Australia and/or the UAE.
FBR and the Ministry will complete a feasibility study of the Hadrian X in the construction sector in the UAE, with a view to the Ministry becoming an early adopter of the Hadrian X® in the UAE. This feasibility study process is expected to take 12 months.
“One of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure targets is to support the UAE’s leadership position in the infrastructure sector. We always keep innovation and human wellbeing at the heart of our work. This collaboration with FBR demonstrates how technology can serve the wellbeing in the housing sector,” said Naseebah Al Marzooqi, director of Studies, Research and Development at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
FBR’s Gulf Director, Karan Savara, said the UAE presents an ideal environment for the introduction of our robotic technology to a new market, especially with the leadership’s innovative mindset and appetite. “It is excellent to see the culmination of the work over the past 3 years come to fruition. With our office established in the Dubai market in 2018, we have a firm intention to offer our solution to the region’s construction challenges,”
In due course, FBR will establish a Wall as a Service (WaaS) operating entity in the UAE to facilitate the introduction of a Hadrian X to the country, where the interest in FBR’s technology has been strong, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. FBR will establish this operating entity at an appropriate time in order to meet the demand for robotically constructed walls, likely in 24 to 36 months.