Dr. Sreejith Balasubramanian

Associate Professor, Chair of the Office of Research, Head of Centre for Supply Chain Excellence, Middlesex University Dubai

“As the Principal Investigator, I’m excited and deeply honoured for the opportunity to contribute to Dubai’s bold and futuristic vision through this groundbreaking project. By harnessing AI and digital twin technology, we aim to empower SMEs with innovative, cost-effective solutions that enhance efficiency, sustainability, and technological advancement in manufacturing. A heartfelt thank you to the Dubai Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Initiative by the Dubai Future Foundation for supporting this transformative initiative to reshape the landscape of manufacturing, not just in Dubai, but across the globe."

The global manufacturing sector faces persistent challenges, including fragmented data, inefficient resource allocation, and outdated processes, particularly for SMEs, which are constrained by limited resources and technical expertise. Empowering SMEs, which constitute 95% of businesses worldwide, to adopt cutting-edge technologies is critical for driving economic growth and job creation. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled advancements in digital twin ecosystems, which are dynamic virtual representations of physical assets, present a transformative opportunity for SMEs. These advancements address challenges such as fragmented systems, heterogeneous data, limited technical expertise, and high costs, enabling SMEs to design, simulate, operate, and optimize intelligent production facilities.

This project aims to develop a cutting-edge cognitive digital twin ecosystem powered by AI and generative AI to transform Dubai's manufacturing sector, a priority in Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33. By integrating platforms such as NVIDIA AI, Omniverse, and OpenUSD, the project seeks to democratize digital twin technology for resource-constrained SMEs. It enables them to create hyper intelligent and hyper-realistic digital twins at a fraction of the cost of conventional methods. This will empower manufacturing SMEs to explore multiple design iterations, identify potential issues, and optimize engineering solutions without costly physical prototyping, allowing them to scale and develop factories, enhance efficiency, and simulate scenarios that reduce costs and improve sustainability.

The project directly supports Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda of strengthening its manufacturing sector while solidifying Dubai’s position as a global knowledge hub and a testbed for AI innovation. Project outputs, including demonstrable proof-of-concept (PoCs) in real-world settings, academic and industry publications, and capacity-building workshops, will advance research and practical applications in cognitive digital twins and the digital transformation of SMEs and the manufacturing sector. The insights and outcomes of this project are transferable and applicable across multiple industries beyond manufacturing, including logistics, cognitive cities, construction, real estate, and urban development.