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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab and Wamda, an enabling platform for entrepreneurs, will hold a series of workshops, hosted by twofour54 and sponsored by Mubadala, to explore innovation and help build a supportive creative community in Abu Dhabi. The workshops, which will host up to 70 people, will take place within twofour54’s Abu Dhabi campus at The Space in the Park Rotana building from February 24 to 27, from 9am to 6pm.

Each track will reveal the Media Lab’s interdisciplinary research and design culture, focusing on experimental learning and hacking (rapid prototyping). In the first track, on Food Technology, Professor Kent Larson and researcher Caleb Harper will examine smart food production in challenging climates. In the second, on health technology, Professor Ramesh Raskar will lead a session focused on hardware and software design related to improving health.

In the third track, Professor Joe Paradiso will lead a session focusing on the design of bio-inspired, low-power sensors and networks, using sensor toolkits. The fourth track, on mobile technology, will examine user experience design and startup growth, led by David Kobia and Juliana Rotich, the founders of crowd sourced reporting system Ushahidi. Bilal Ghalib of the GEMS Initiative, which helps build regional hackerspaces, will also assist attendees.

With over 25 research groups working on more than 350 projects, The MIT Media Lab conducts cross-disciplinary research on a wide variety of topics. . Since its inception in 1995, its research has led to the creation of platforms such as the One Laptop per Child XO computer and E Ink, and has spanned areas as diverse as digital research for neurological disorders, stackable electronic cars for sustainable cities and advanced imaging technologies that expand the boundaries of human sight.

Noura Al Kaabi, the CEO of twofour54, said: “twofour54 Abu Dhabi is a hub of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in the Arab World. This workshop is consistent with twofour54’s vision to drive innovation within the media industry and invest in fresh, young Arab talent. We are confident that through initiatives like this, creative communities in the UAE and across the region will continue to flourish.”

For more about the event, visitwww.media.mit.edu/events/abudhabi2014/

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