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World's first digital garage to open in Dubai

Dubai - The Digital Life Garage is being constructed at Dubai Internet City's Innovation Hub.

Eighty-five years after its founding in an actual garage, tech firm Hewlett-Packard will be opening the doors to a new type of it in Dubai, with the aim of developing future leaders in the digital world.
The multinational ICT company will be launching its 'Digital Life Garage' in the emirate in 2020, the goal of which is to accelerate the UAE's innovation system.
And a local touch is at the centre of the initiative: Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) will be reaching out to UAE students, engineers and innovators to provide input for the endeavour.
HP was, in fact, founded in a Palo Alto garage by Bill Hewett and David Packard in 1935. The company, which would become one of the biggest tech firms in the world, was incorporated in 1947 and went public 10 years later.
"This is the first one in the globe, and we are founding it here in Dubai," Wolfgang Egger, vice-president and managing director of HPE Middle East, told Khaleej Times at Gitex Technology Week.
"There are three elements to this: Building an ecosystem with local startups and experimenting with next-generation solutions; showcasing technologies with our partners to be future-driven; and training next-generation local leaders in the UAE."
The Digital Life Garage is being constructed at Dubai Internet City's Innovation Hub and is slated for an early-2020 inauguration.
Talks between HPE and local entities began over a year ago, and now the company has started reaching out to UAE universities, Egger said.
Abu Dhabi, too
HPE's efforts also extend to the UAE capital.
Earlier this week, the company announced a new data partnership agreement with the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (Adda), aiming to support the authority in bolstering the emirate's digital transformation efforts.
"Partnerships like these reinforce our commitment to bringing highly advanced technologies, which we can use in our efforts to best serve the Abu Dhabi community," said Dr Rauda Al Saadi, director-general of Adda.
Work-life balance
The garage would also introduce a "new style" of the work-life paradigm, boasting open workspaces with no divisions, and promoting a sustainable environment.
"(Dubai) is the Silicon Valley of the UAE. and this garage is a spark - call it a seed - (because) we want to have a Silicon Valley here," Egger said.
GOALS OF HP'S DIGITAL LIFE GARAGE
>Build an ecosystem with local startups and experiment with next-generation solutions
>Showcase technologies with partners to be future-driven
>Train next-generation local leaders in the UAE
alvin@khaleejtimes.com