AtkinsRéalis and Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity sign Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate applied urban innovation across the UAE

AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering and design consultancy, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity, the leading programme supporting global academic innovators to advance their solutions towards implementation in Dubai, to accelerate the development and deployment of breakthrough technologies shaping the future of the built environment.

The collaboration brings together AtkinsRéalis’ dedication to solving complex urban challenges through a combination of creative thinking, deep technical expertise and the exploration of advanced technologies in the UAE, with Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity’s dedicated venture development programme. Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity is held under the patronage and leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and is in strategic partnership with Dubai Future Foundation. The partnership was announced alongside a majlis hosted by Her Highness in support of the programme’s growing network of collaborations across Dubai’s innovation ecosystem.

Together, the organisations will explore opportunities to support the validation, piloting and scaling of innovations that respond to the region’s most pressing urban challenges, including resilience, sustainability, climate adaptation and liveability. Initially the partnership will focus on identifying relevant innovations emerging from Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity’s existing cohorts and connecting them to industry expertise and client environments so solutions can be tested in real operating contexts. This accelerates their journey towards commercialisation while addressing practical infrastructure needs in the UAE.

“Across the built environment, there is no shortage of high‑quality research and technical innovation. The real challenge lies in creating the conditions for those innovations to be locally tested, validated and scaled to deliver meaningful impact in the UAE,”, said Matthew Tribe, SVP & Global Market Lead, Buildings and Places at AtkinsRéalis. “This collaboration is about creating clearer pathways between academia, industry and government, and supporting Dubai’s vision as a global hub for applied innovation that delivers long-term measurable outcomes for cities and communities and drives localized supply chains, economic development, jobs and GDP growth.”

Beyond the immediate partnership, AtkinsRéalis and Prototypes for Humanity share an ambition to explore a dedicated programme centred around an urban innovation zone focused on Dubai and the UAE's most complex and urgent urban challenges. Building on AtkinsRéalis' CityZenX programme, which focuses on designing, testing and scaling innovative, global-first solutions to complex city-scale challenges, the initiative would leverage Prototypes for Humanity's global platform to bring together innovators, industry leaders, government entities and infrastructure partners to validate joint innovations for the built environment.

“Prototypes for Humanity exists to enable research-led innovation move beyond academia and into real-world implementation.” said Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Managing Director of Prototypes for Humanity. “Working with AtkinsRéalis opens up pathways to deep infrastructure expertise, delivery experience and client ecosystems that are critical for scaling impact. Together, we want to enable innovators to develop solutions that directly address the challenges facing rapidly growing environments.”

Through this MoU, AtkinsRéalis and Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity are aligning their networks and capabilities, exploring new ways to bring urban innovation into practice across the UAE to drive better transformational triple bottom-line outcomes for cities and communities.

About AtkinsRéalis

Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset, including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. Learn more at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity

Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity is held under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF). It is a global programme that invites innovators, researchers and visionaries from universities around the world to develop transformative solutions for the benefit of humanity. With the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the programme aims to foster future-driven innovations by supporting prototypes and pilot models that address critical global challenges, while advancing Dubai’s position as a global innovation hub.

Supported by strategic partners the Dubai Future Foundation and the Hussain Sajwani – DAMAC Foundation, alongside founding partner Dubai International Financial Centre, and led by Prototypes for Humanity (an Art Dubai Group initiative), the programme connects university students and their professors with government, industry and potential investors worldwide to accelerate the growth of their pioneering ideas.

Through its annual exhibition at AREA 2071, Emirates Towers, the programme showcases the top 100 innovations, driving community improvement, entrepreneurship and market expansion. By nurturing talent and turning innovative concepts into reality, the programme strives to build a better future, from Dubai to the world.