Agreements will allow ATRC and ADAFSA to jointly tackle the agricultural sector’s most pressing priorities
Scale-Up Studio will help identify promising agricultural innovations and validate technology through real-world pilots
Collaboration supports the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051 and the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036
Abu Dhabi, UAE, October 2026 – The Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) has signed two landmark agreements with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) to support the application of the latest innovations in agricultural technologies across Abu Dhabi’s farming industry. The collaboration reflects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to strengthening food security, advancing sustainable agriculture and positioning the emirate as a global hub for agricultural innovation and advanced technology.
The first of the two agreements, signed during Global Food Week in Abu Dhabi, will allow the ATRC and ADAFSA to jointly tackle the agricultural sector’s priorities by accelerating the deployment and scale-up of the most transformative agricultural technologies. Initial areas of cooperation will include water and soil health, smart and sustainable agriculture, advanced food systems, biosecurity and livestock management. Solutions will be developed, piloted, and scaled in Abu Dhabi.
The second agreement establishes the Agricultural Innovation Scale-Up Studio, which will offer a practical mechanism for identifying promising agricultural innovations, validating their performance through real-world pilots and supporting their adoption and wider deployment.
The agreements bring together ADAFSA’s understanding of the needs of Abu Dhabi’s agricultural sector and ATRC’s advanced technology research capabilities, with a focus on accelerating the deployment of solutions that address real-world challenges, improve resource efficiency and strengthen the sustainability of agricultural production.
H.E. Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi, Deputy Director-General for Regulatory and Administrative Affairs at ADAFSA, said: “These agreements mark an important step in strengthening Abu Dhabi’s agricultural sector by bringing research and technology closer to the needs of farmers and livestock breeders. By working with ATRC, we can focus on solutions that address the challenges facing our sector, test their effectiveness under local conditions and accelerate the adoption of technologies that improve productivity, optimise resource use and support food security.”
As the UAE pursues its ambition of becoming the world’s leading nation in food security by 2051, innovation will play an increasingly important role in enabling sustainable food production, improving resource efficiency and strengthening resilience against global supply chain disruptions.
H.E. Abdulaziz Al Dosari, Executive Director of Support Services at ATRC, said: “Agriculture in Abu Dhabi is shaped by water constraints, soil quality and extreme heat. ADAFSA knows where the sector is under most pressure and ATRC has the research and technology solutions to respond. These agreements bring the two together, and the Scale-Up Studio gives that work a place to be tested on working farms.”
ASPIRE, which designs and delivers ATRC’s innovation acceleration programmes, will shape and support the Scale-Up Studio, focusing on technologies at Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 6 to 9 and supporting their progression towards deployment and scale-up. By testing solutions in conditions that reflect the realities of local agriculture, the Studio will support farmers and livestock breeders to access technologies that have demonstrated their potential to deliver tangible benefits.
Stephane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE, said: “The Scale-Up Studio provides a practical route for moving promising agricultural technologies from development to deployment. By working closely with ADAFSA, we can identify solutions with the potential to address real challenges, test them in the field and support their adoption at scale. The focus is on ensuring that technologies deliver measurable value for farmers and livestock breeders, while contributing to a more productive and sustainable agricultural sector.”
Together, the two agreements support the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051, which aims to position the UAE as a world leader in the Global Food Security Index, and the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, which targets a 21% reduction in total national water demand.
