Emirates Global Aluminium PJSC (EGA) announced this week a new partnership with Microsoft UAE to collaborate on Industry 4.0 and overall digital transformation for the global aluminium industry.
The new agreement will have the two firms working to implement EGA’s Digital Roadmap, a plan that aims to implement new digital transformative technology. To date the Roadmap has implemented innovations in artificial intelligence and big data.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said in a press release that the new agreement will blaze new trails for his firm.
“We are already transforming EGA’s operations, business and employee experience through Industry 4.0 and our broader digital transformation. Our collaboration with Microsoft will enable us to further accelerate, scale and sustain this work as a digital lighthouse for the region and our industry.”
EGA says the firms will develop a private Microsoft Azure Cloud at its operations, which it says will use artificial intelligence and big data tools to increase and improve automation. In addition, a new virtual desktop cloud is to be implemented that will provide EGA’s employees with a quicker and more secure interface.
Carlo K. Nizam, Chief Digital Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said the pairing will bring out the best in both organizations.
“Deploying EGA’s and Microsoft’s talent, muscle and technology together will allow us to develop the most advanced digital capabilities and hybrid cloud platform in the aluminium industry. At the same time, we will improve the environmental sustainability of EGA’s computing infrastructure and benefit from seamless security and operations of both our public and private cloud assets.”
Naim Yazbeck, General Manager at Microsoft UAE, said his firm is eager for greater collaboration with EGA.
“We are proud to partner with EGA, the largest ‘premium aluminium’ producer in the world, to accelerate their Industry 4.0 transformation while also pioneering further improvements in Microsoft’s own cloud for manufacturing services. I look forward to further collaborations between EGA and Microsoft in the future, both locally and globally.”
Based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Emirates Global Aluminium is an aluminium conglomerate created by the merger between Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) and Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) in 2013. EGA had an estimated enterprise value of US$15 billion at the time the merger took place. The firm is owned equally by Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi and Investment Corporation of Dubai. Emirates Global Aluminium holds interests in bauxite/alumina and primary aluminium smelting.
