TECOM Investments’ Sciences Cluster reports an additional 57 licenses in 2013

TECOM Investments’ Sciences Cluster, which consists of DuBiotech and Enpark, continued to demonstrate strong growth in 2013 granting 57 new business partners licences to operate within the business park. 

DuBiotech, the dedicated to facilitating and fostering growth of the UAE’s life sciences industry, issued 42 new commercial licenses during the course of 2013; successfully sustaining the year-on-year growth it has shown since it began operating in 2009. DuBiotech now has 153 companies under licence. 

Dubiotech welcomed high profile organisations such as Medtronic, the world’s largest medical technology company,Himalaya Global Research Centre and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). PhRMA’s member companies spent an estimated $48.5 billion in 2012 to discover and develop new medicines. By establishing a presence at DuBiotech, PhRMA will bring unrivalled expertise, experience and knowledge of the pharmaceutical and innovative medicine to the Middle East, facilitating the shift away from the current overreliance on imported medicine. 

The business centre in the lab building is now 100 per cent occupied with a mix of both multinational and small and medium sized firms. During 2014, the Sciences Cluster will open a number of new, bespoke laboratory facilities for business partners designed to meet the precise needs of each organisation. 

Enpark, welcomed 15 new business partners over the past twelve months, issuing licenses to companies across all areas of the sustainability sector. Flagship trade licenses included: First Solar, Inc. the world’s premier provider of fully integrated solar solutions; Conergy Asia & ME Pte Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of solar PV energy systems;, LUKOIL Overseas Service, a subsidiary of LUKOIL’s international oil and gas production and exploration projects; Petronar Group Limited;, and a leading industrial safety services company, United Safety International. These new additions take the total number of business partners in Enpark to 48. 

In 2013, Enpark hosted the inaugural Green Economy Partnership, gathering founding members  including DEWA, World Climate Ltd and Etihad Energy Services and the to discuss how to further the UAE’S green economy through identification of opportunities, analysis of challenges and trends, and discussion of fresh ideas to shape the UAE’s sustainability policies. 

Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Executive Director of the TECOM’s Sciences Cluster said: “I am proud to announce that the Science Cluster has once again achieved steady, yet significant growth in the number of business partners we are attracting to operate at our site.   

“I believe that the success of the Sciences Cluster is due to the combination of the potential for growth in our domestic market, our proximity to many strategic markets, improvements in industry-related regulations, first class facilities and services, and the connectivity to Government that we can offer. 

“Our strategic intent is to build a sustainable business environment that fosters foreign direct investment and incubates innovation and entrepreneurship. This is very important to reduce UAE’s dependence on imported products, medicines, technology and services. This approach is also directly related to the government’s wider vision of developing a knowledge-based, sustainable and diversified economy.” 

“We work very closely with our business partners offering the support and the infrastructure with which to grow. We will continue this work as new partners come on board, facilitating collaboration and driving innovation with emerging technologies wherever possible.” 

“To ensure our success continues, we must strengthen the connectivity between the UAE’s academic community and the scientific organisations that operate here. By forging closer links, we will be able to develop and retain the talent we need to further the achievements of the scientific community for the benefit of the economy, the health of our residents, and the environment.” 

In 2013, the cluster strengthened affiliations with both industry and government with new agreements with entities such as the Indian Consulate of Dubai and the Green Economy Partnership Committee. These agreements will serve to facilitate investment, innovation and knowledge-sharing for the wider life sciences and sustainability sectors. 

Companies based in the business park benefit from its inherent advantages as a freezone, such as 100% foreign ownership in a 100% tax-free environment, a guaranteed 50-year exemption from personal, income and corporate taxes, full repatriation of profits and capital, and exemption from custom duty for goods and services.