Aviation innovation is hardcoded into the Emirates Group’s DNA and this was brought to life at the new Innovation Majlis unveiled by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman & Chief Executive Emirates Airline & Group with other senior leaders at its Dubai headquarters.

As a platform to foster deeper research and development, and greater exchange of cutting-edge ideas, the Innovation Majlis will showcase the latest in robotics, hyper-reality, holograms, 3D printers and other advanced technologies. It will serve as the social space to co-create proof-of-concepts that will benefit customers, communities and the aviation industry. Partnerships with industry leaders and universities, sustainable initiatives, and exploring alternate energies will be some of the other key drivers for the majlis.

HH Sheikh Ahmed said: “The Emirates Group has always been a trailblazer in the aviation industry, and innovation is fundamental to our core values, our culture and our mindset. The Innovation Majlis, with its latest tools and tech, is designed to empower our employees to explore new horizons, discover innovative solutions, and drive the future of the aviation industry. It will bring our partners, top tech companies and entities together in one space to address key challenges affecting our industry today.”

In its initial phase, the Innovation Majlis will include:

• Autonomous mobile manipulator: developed by Dubai Future Labs for order deliveries as well as picking and placing objects from shelves, bins and table-tops.
• AI-enabled wearable glasses for AR experiences: transforms the way we perceive and interact with other people, products or services
• Haptic gloves for natural XR interactions: enables touch interaction in virtual reality to feel the weight, vibrations and resistance of virtual objects
• 3D holographic display with generative AI: elevates the experience of interacting with digital signage by providing advanced conversational capability through natural language processing
• Automatic wireless charging: next era of charging devices autonomously from a distance using infrared technology
• 3D printing solutions: exploring next generation printers that can handle a greater range of materials to provide an additive manufacturing capability for new areas
• Optimised videoconferencing: all-in-one device providing advanced sensor and environment optimisation technology for video communications
• Next generation water filtration: reverse osmosis and carbon filtration purification system that turns any tap water into mineralised water. 

The Emirates Group has a long history of spearheading innovation in the industry. The Innovation Majlis comes hot on the heels of launching Sara, the world’s first ever check‑in robot assistant, and hosting the first edition of ForsaTEK, an annual event that brings together start-up programmes, high-profile tech and industry partners, and key players in the ecosystem. The Emirates Group and Dubai Future Foundation have signed a significant partnership to launch the Emirates Centre of Excellence for Aviation Robotics (ECEAR). Emirates has dedicated US$ 200 million to finance research and development initiatives aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of fossil fuels in commercial aviation.