George Bou Mitri

DUBAI, UAE, 25 March 2020: Honeywell Building Technologies is collaborating with Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) to further develop and enhance Internet of Things (IoT) innovations related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Data Analytics for the built environment, said George Bou Mitri, Vice President and General Manager, Honeywell Building Technologies, Middle East, Turkey and Africa. Through this partnership, Mitri said, Honeywell aims to support energy and operational efficiencies of buildings in the region, while communicating best practices for smart city development and operations. “Honeywell’s collaboration with HBMSU demonstrates the huge potential value of advanced IoT platforms in energy savings, while directly supporting the government’s commitment to energy reduction,” he said. “It aligns with the UAE’s Strategic Vision and UAE Energy Strategy 2050 to improve energy efficiency of individuals and corporations by 40% by 2050.”

Elaborating further on the collaboration, Mitri said that HBMSU was looking for ways to utilise IoT solutions, in order to drive optimisation and energy efficiency across its facility and, as such, recognised the value that the Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization, the company’s IoT-based platform, can contribute in this regard. The Forge platform, he explained, is a patented, cloud-based, closed-loop, machine learning solution that continuously studies a building’s energy consumption patterns and automatically adjusts to optimal energy-saving settings without compromising occupant comfort levels. “It is the first autonomous building solution focused on decreasing energy consumption, which can deliver double-digit energy savings, decrease a building’s carbon footprint, and can be implemented without significant upfront capital expenses or changes to a building’s current operational processes,” said Mitri.

Mitri said that through this platform, Honeywell successfully demonstrated an initial 10% energy savings. “This is significant, as the University’s buildings were already highly smart and energy efficient,” he said. “The University was also looking for ways to implement and expose its students to the latest advancements in AI and ML technologies for buildings, and this collaboration does just that.”

Mitri said that the platform was also applied to HBMSU’s existing building management system, which uses a third-party, non-Honeywell technology, which is supported by the platform’s open architecture and hardware-agnostic capabilities.

Mitri said that under the partnership, Honeywell is also creating a platform to enable trainings, workshops, presentations, coaching sessions and demonstrations with the aim of providing insights on how AI and ML can be applied to improve the overall building experience. “As the University’s technology advisor for future smart city and building initiatives, HBMSU will also benefit from early testing and rollout of the very latest IoT-based solutions from Honeywell, driving further energy and operational efficiencies,” he said. Mitri emphasised that the collaboration also supports the Dubai Economic Zone Initiative, announced by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, which aims to strengthen the Emirate’s position as a regional centre for youth support and the development of education and concepts that rely on innovation and technology.