Abu dhabi: The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) has entered into a five-year partnership with Siemens through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance sustainability, digital transformation, and applied innovation in the UAE's higher education sector.
According to Emirates News Agency, this collaboration aligns with the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative and the UAE Green Agenda 2030. The partnership will facilitate a comprehensive programme focusing on smart campus transformation, green skills development, and industry-driven research. HCT and Siemens will work together on initiatives related to innovation, decarbonisation, and digitalisation to improve institutional sustainability and operational efficiency.
Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Vice President of Shared Services at HCT, highlighted the partnership's potential to transform HCT campuses into intelligent, resilient, and data-driven environments. This transformation supports the institution's commitment to the UAE's Net Zero 2050 agenda. Helmut von Struve, CEO of Siemens in the Middle East and UAE, mentioned that combining Siemens' expertise in smart infrastructure, digitalisation, and decarbonisation with HCT's applied learning model will aid in talent development and support the UAE's transition to a low-carbon, knowledge-based economy.
A key focus of the collaboration is to develop HCT's campus ecosystem using a Smart Campus Framework based on Siemens' Building X platform. This initiative aims to modernise energy, water, and waste management systems, establish real-time data environments, and deploy clean mobility solutions such as EV infrastructure and on-site renewable energy planning. These efforts are anticipated to enhance operational performance, bolster resilience, and drive measurable progress toward national decarbonisation goals.
The initiative will also provide specialised technical training, faculty development programmes, and industry workshops on sustainability technologies and digital infrastructure. Joint short courses and green skills certifications will be offered to students and professionals, along with structured annual apprenticeship opportunities to provide hands-on industry experience. These efforts will directly support the UAE's workforce development priorities and foster innovation in advancing a knowledge-based, low-carbon economy.
HCT and Siemens will collaborate on industry-relevant projects across advanced manufacturing, smart infrastructure, mobility systems, energy technologies, and emerging innovation domains. The partnership will enable shared use of laboratories and digital testbeds, as well as co-authored technical outputs.