Ducab Group, one of the biggest end-to-end solutions providers and manufacturing firms in the United Arab Emirates, announced today that it will be expediting its operations by launching Blade, its advanced Smart Factory of the Future project based on Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) technologies. The factory harnesses artificial intelligence, data analysis and smart supply chain management to provide solutions that enhance product quality which promotes the development of the national industrial sector.

The Group launched the new project in a special event, held in collaboration with MEED, at the Waldorf Astoria in DIFC, Dubai, attended by His Excellency Abdulla Sami Alshamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Growth Sector at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), who delivered a keynote address, and Mohammad Almutawa, Group CEO at Ducab, along with Ducab executives and employees, customers, stakeholders, and decision makers.

The event’s agenda included a presentation on ‘Ducab’s Industry 4.0 Journey’, as well as a panel discussion on the key benefits that Blade offers to Ducab customers.

His Excellency Abdullah Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Industrial Development Sector at MoIAT said: “The UAE has made significant progress in enabling and incentivizing the industrial sector to adopt advanced technologies under Operation 300 bln, the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology. Leveraging advanced technology and artificial intelligence creates new opportunities across the sector and enables Made in the Emirates products to become more competitive and sustainable. MoIAT is committed to supporting national companies to transform, digitalize, and grow.

HE Al Shamsi added: “MoIAT collaborates with strategic partners from the public and private sectors to empower the national industrial sector with the tools to accelerate digital transformation and Industry 4.0 advanced technology adoption. This contributes to the development of the sector and helps the UAE become an attractive destination for investments in advanced technologies and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

HE Alshamsi praised Ducab’s Blade initiative as an important step towards accelerating Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, which aligns with Make it in the Emirates and the Technological Transformation Program. HE Alshamsi added that the launch is in line with the UAE’s national objectives to promote industrial development and consolidate the country’s position as a global hub for foreign investment in advanced technology.

“Guided by the UAE’s strategic direction to always be ahead of the curve when it comes to embracing technologies,” said Mohammad Almutawa. “Ducab Group is a pioneer in the UAE and the region when it comes to adopting and adapting Industry 4.0 breakthroughs and using them to enhance our operations. And today, our state-of-the-art digital platforms enable us to take half the time than the rest of the market to deliver on customer requests, which will undoubtedly help strengthen and grow our business, all the while contributing towards achieving the objectives of the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology – ‘Operation 300bn’.”

“As one of the largest manufacturers in the country, Ducab plays a leading role in supporting the UAE’s ambitious sustainability plans,” he added. “Digital transformation brings us closer to achieving our sustainability objective, minimise waste, save energy, and reduce emissions, in line with the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.”

The launch of the Blade project embeds advanced Industry 4.0 technological breakthroughs at the core of Ducab’s operations, including the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. Blade is set to increase output volumes by 20% in two years, boosting customer service level to 99% and driving up overall equipment efficiency (OEE) by 20% within a year.

Moreover, the Project helps reduce total machine downtime by 30% in one year, in addition to decreasing costs for inventory holding by 20% and costs for quality by 10%, also within a year.

Furthermore, Ducab’s factories are maintained to the highest standard using Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to ensure uninterrupted production. IIoT sensors all along the production line measure thousands of elements, allowing the Group to fix issues before they can cause a problem. Meanwhile, sophisticated AI software is used in planning to ensure Ducab’s facilities are capable of processing all orders at any time, regardless of the size.

Similarly, advanced technologies have been embedded the quality check process, where multiple levels of checks were introduced, starting from the sourcing to the delivery, to ensure compliance with various standards and regulations in manufacturing cables.