Tenth Masdar Live explores the power of innovation

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The use of cutting-edge innovation and strong partnerships have together enabled our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Peng Xiao, CEO of G42 told Masdar employees during a virtual event. 

Speaking at the tenth edition of Masdar Live, Xiao emphasized the importance of innovation and partnerships in accelerating efforts to combat the spread of the virus and develop solutions: “G42 is an AI technology company, homegrown in the UAE. Our focus is to accelerate digital transformation across all sectors and make the best use of data, extracting value and insights through advanced analytics.”

He continued: “Our culture of innovation and strong partnerships enable us to support our government and many others around the world to combat the pandemic.”
G42 has played a critical role in supporting the UAE in managing the pandemic. In April, G42 and BGI built a test lab in Masdar City to help accelerate the diagnosis, identification and screening of suspected COVID-19 cases and the release of recovered patients.

Xiao recognized that this undertaking would not have been possible without the infrastructure, collaboration, and support provided by Masdar City. 

“We were able to work with Masdar to build the PCR test lab in record time, leveraging the experience of our partners from China and the UAE. At that time, the capabilities for PCR testing in the UAE and globally were still in the early stages. As the challenges brought on by COVID-19 grew stronger, we scaled up to meet the national demand for PCR testing.”

Leveraging its expertise in genomics, testing, and big data, G42 has been able to build a workflow that allows it to assist the UAE government in monitoring, tracking, and controlling the spread of the virus, as global efforts for a vaccine are still underway.

“One essential requirement when it comes to vaccines is whether it works for the masses. We need to be involved in the process, we cannot just be consumers, we need to have the science, logistical capabilities, a visionary leadership and an engaged population, which we are proud to have here in the UAE.”

Xiao ended by reiterating the importance of collaboration and the right partners in overcoming this global challenge: “In this global fight against the pandemic, no single government, no single nation can possibly address the challenges alone. Choosing the right partner is truly key, and we have been fortunate each step of the way with the direction of our leadership, to explore not just great collaborations, but great chemistry, work and ethics as well.”