Schneider Electric unveils AI study and new Innovation Hub at Abu Dhabi summit
Schneider Electric presented its 2026 Industrial AI in CPG Study: UAE and opened a 3,000‑square‑metre Innovation Hub at the Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa held at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi.
Schneider Electric showcases AI momentum in Abu Dhabi
Schneider Electric used the Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi to release its 2026 Industrial AI in CPG Study: UAE and to open a major regional Innovation Hub. The two‑day event attracted more than 2,500 attendees, including industry analysts, government officials, partners, customers, students and media.
The study found that food and beverage manufacturers in the UAE are embracing industrial artificial intelligence at a faster pace than the global average. In the UAE, 23 percent of manufacturers already regard AI as a core part of operations, compared with 16.3 percent worldwide. A further 59 percent of UAE respondents expect AI to have a transformational impact on their organisations by 2030, versus 42.2 percent globally. Cybersecurity also featured prominently, with 38 percent of UAE respondents identifying it as a top priority as AI use expands.
At the summit, Schneider Electric framed these findings within a broader argument that the digital economy depends on resilient physical systems. Olivier Blum, Schneider Electric’s chief executive, described the company’s role in linking energy, operations and data to convert intelligence into practical improvements in performance and resilience. The company highlighted the need to connect software and automation to the underlying infrastructure that powers AI deployments.
A central attraction at ADNEC was Schneider Electric’s newly unveiled 3,000‑square‑metre Innovation Hub. The facility presents technologies across the infrastructure lifecycle, from design and construction through to operation and maintenance. Attendees were shown demonstrations of the company’s Data Cube platform alongside innovations aimed at enabling AI‑driven operations, smarter buildings, more sustainable data centres, industrial automation, water technologies, mobility solutions and enhanced cybersecurity.
Schneider Electric used the summit to restate its commitment to collaborating with governments, customers and partners to accelerate the roll‑out of intelligent, resilient and sustainable infrastructure across the Middle East and Africa. The presentation of UAE‑specific research on industrial AI underlined the emirate’s role as a regional centre for energy technology and digital transformation, particularly in manufacturing sectors such as food and beverage.
The Innovation Summit brought together stakeholders from across the public and private sectors to consider how energy systems and industrial software can be aligned to support the growth of AI‑enabled operations. For Abu Dhabi, hosting the event reinforced the emirate’s status as a focal point for conversations about the intersection of energy, digitalisation and industrial competitiveness.
Source: WAM