The sixth edition of the ‘Internet of Things 2019’ opened to a full house with the keynote highlighting lessons from global lighthouses led by McKinsey & Company and Digital McKinsey, Singapore.
The keynote continued with Anil Khurana from PwC Middle East and Jochen-Thomas Morr of PwC Germany on leveraging IoT as a strategic tool to advance business models leading to desired results.
Panel discussions at ‘IoT Middle East 2019’ focused on the business aspects of digital transformation sweeping across industries, changing business models, opening up new services and highlighting disruptive new entrants.
Engineer Muammar Al Katheeri, Executive Vice President of Engineering and Smart City said: “DSOA continuously looks forward to collaborating with brands that look after technologies that reshape the future. We are pleased to participate in IoT Middl East as we are confident that it will help us share our own smart solutions and initiatives while connect and network with decision makers, solution developers and potential business partners.
“Our presence allowed us to discuss and share our experience in the IoT field, and expand our knowledge while in the process of building Silicon Park at DSO, Dubai’s first smart city. We look forward to pioneering new developments and projects that add greater innovation and creativity to the region, while augmenting DSOA’s wide portfolio of successful projects.”
Dr. Anil Khurana, Partner, Strategy and Innovation at PwC Middle East: “The Internet of Things (IoT) and the transformation made possible with the Fourth Industrial Revolution are radically reshaping traditional industries and business models. That is why today, the opportunity lies in the hands of the companies that are able to adapt, innovate and compete against this still unfolding and ever-changing backdrop. Our research tells us that those who champion the use of IoT, in manufacturing for instance, are able to see revenue and cost gains of 20 to 25%. That is a twofold increase from what they could have expected only three years ago!”
Vinay Chandran, Partner, AA & IOT Lead, Middle East at Digital McKinsey, said: “The Internet of Things is transforming every aspect of our professional and personal lives, from AI-powered chatbots to self-driving cars. Yet, despite its impact many companies are struggling to capitalize on its potential. Our research has found that of the enterprises that have launched pilot projects to develop IoT-enabled products and services or use the IoT to achieve operational improvements, less than 30 percent have taken these beyond the pilot phase.”
Marwan Bin Dalmook, SVP ICT Solutions & Smart City Operations, du, said: “Conferences like IoT Middle East are vital platforms for launching key ideas about the future of IoT and the proliferation of our smart cities. Participating in this formative event, and facilitating discussions about the future of smart cities and smart energy solutions, reiterates our commitment towards being at the forefront of digital transformation in the UAE to drive the futuristic agenda for a happier, safer, more seamless society for all.”
Johan Ehrstrom, CEO of IoT Middle East 2019, said. “Having over 350 C-level cross industry attendees in one room addressing the latest developments in our industry has been stimulating for delegates and we look forward to further interactions in the workshops tomorrow.”
Sophia Hasnain of Linked Things commended the conference for providing an excellent forum to highlight the positive difference IoT applications can make. Linked Things designs and produces comprehensive solutions to save energy and improve the supply of water in emerging markets. Based in Pakistan, their engineers have come up with a range of affordable and simple products that save money and allow for remote or automated control.
Speakers at IoT Middle East featured Jochen Morr, Industry 4.0 Lead from PwC Germany, Ani Bhalekar, Vice President of IoT from Digital McKinsey Singapore, Chief Xperience Officer & Co-Founder of the regions only unicorn Careem, SVP Smart Cities, Marwan Bindalmon of du, Futurist and researcher Monica Bielskyte, Tom Allen, Lead Sport Scientist of Arsenal FC, Peter Grey, technical director of Tour de France and Dr. Yousef Al Hammadi, CDO of Abu Dhabi 2019 special Olympics and 12 different cases including Smart Dubai, Expo 2020, Smart Commerce, Smart Districts and more.
The 35+ speaker panel addressed essential technologies affecting the region within the next few years empowered with IoT, AI, Blockchain, MR/AR/VR, 3D, automation and machine learning.