The Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) entities ASPIRE and TII have partnered with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) to advance sustainable food and agriculture solutions. The collaboration will focus on applied research activities in areas like diagnostics and therapeutics, sustainable protein, resilient water and energy solutions, and R&D initiatives. TII will participate through its Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Research Center (RSERC), and the Advanced Materials Research Center (AMRC). Why it matters: This partnership signifies a strategic effort to leverage technology and research to enhance food security and environmental resilience in the UAE.
Two student teams from MBZUAI won top prizes at the inaugural Agritech Hackathon (“Agrithon”) organized by ADAFSA. The “Masdar Boys” team developed a dashboard integrating ML models for plant disease diagnosis, optimal animal clinic placement, and disease outbreak zone classification. The “Green AI” team built a machine learning framework for plant disease classification, winning second prize. Why it matters: This highlights the growing role of AI in addressing food security challenges in the UAE and the region, with potential for real-world applications through ADAFSA's interest in further developing the students' work.
MBZUAI students Mugariya Farooq and Sarah Al Barri created a machine learning framework that classifies plant diseases from images and predicts yield using data inputs. Their project won second place at the Agritech Hackathon organized by the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Authority (ADAFSA). The algorithm boasts accuracy above 99% when tested against agricultural scientists. Why it matters: This work showcases AI's potential to revolutionize agriculture in the UAE and the broader MENA region by improving food security, reducing waste, and optimizing resource allocation.