Adia Lab to establish its European headquarters in Spain

Adia Lab, the research institute launched by sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, will set up its European headquarters in the Spanish city of Granada.

The lab, an independent entity that focuses on data and computational sciences, has joined forces with the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

Under the agreement, five research programmes will be launched with Spanish universities and research institutions to create a network that will boost bilateral scientific exchange between the two countries.

“Spain is becoming a pole of attraction for talent and investment at an international level … the arrival of Adia Lab’s European headquarters to Spain adds to the commitment of major companies and research centres,” said Carme Artigas, Spain’s secretary of state for digitalisation and artificial intelligence.

The agreement highlights the areas of joint co-operation expressed in the Spain-UAE joint statement, issued in February last year during Spanish President Pedro Sanchez’s visit to the Emirates.

The UAE and Spain are exploring bilateral investment exchange opportunities in areas such as technology, food security, transformative industries and logistics, the UAE Ministry of Economy said last month.

Non-oil trade between the two countries exceeded $2.6 billion last year, while the UAE’s non-oil exports to Spain totalled $360 million and re-exports amounted to $181 million.

First announced in October, Adia Lab focuses on research in data science, AI, machine learning, and high-performance and quantum computing across all major fields of study.

It began operations in December with the announcement of a $100,000 research award that focuses on investment strategies.

On a broader scale, it is expected to play a proactive role in the development of Abu Dhabi’s digital ecosystem.

“Adia Lab was created to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues,” said Horst Simon, director of Adia Lab.

“We will support new scientific breakthroughs through the analysis and processing of ever-increasing amounts of complex data — across all major areas of study … we are excited to partner with … [Spain] to bring our new European headquarters to the country and to launch important research projects with some of its leading institutions.”

As per the pact, Adia Lab will develop the area of interpretable AI and reliable automation with the University of Granada in Spain.

Some of the research areas will include public health, climate change, digital economy and distributed ledger technology.