On May 20, 2020, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan formally established the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) in Abu Dhabi. According to the ATRC, the council was created to shape a research and development ecosystem and position Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE as a key technology player globally.
ATRC was structured with three entities: the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) as its applied research pillar, ASPIRE as its technology program management arm, and VentureOne as its commercialization unit. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was appointed Chairman of the ATRC Board, and Faisal Al Bannai was named Secretary General.
Quantum research was identified as one of the council’s priority technology domains from inception. TII launched with seven initial dedicated research centers, with quantum listed alongside autonomous robotics, cryptography, advanced materials, digital security, directed energy, and secure systems. The establishment of ATRC consolidated Abu Dhabi’s R&D efforts under a single governance structure with committed long-term funding.