Dubai event showcases 5 travel technologies, including e-SIM and robotic vending machines

The first-ever ForsaTEK event, organized by Emirates Group, was held to celebrate innovation in the aviation industry. The event featured partners of the group, such as Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, Airbus, and Microsoft, as well as over 20 start-ups that are part of the incubators Intelak or Aviation X Lab. The start-up incubators and accelerator programme were founded by Emirates to encourage innovation.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, spoke at the inauguration ceremony and emphasized that ForsaTEK is a platform to showcase technological initiatives and their applications in the industry. He also mentioned that Emirates has built a robust incubator ecosystem with partners to deliver cutting-edge initiatives in travel.

One of the innovations on display was a robotic vending machine created by local company VLT Vending Service. The machine, which serves coffee and ice cream, features a robotic arm that waves and dances while customers wait for their orders. The makers of the machine have already received orders for at least 8 units and have the capability to manufacture 5 units a month. They believe that the robotic arm has potential applications in malls, parks, and airports.

Another innovation that caught attention was an electronic SIM developed by Emirates partner Thales. The electronic SIM can convert to the local SIM of the country that its owner travels to. Emirates COO Adel Al Redha believes that this innovation could be a game changer. When a traveller lands in a country, they will receive a message asking if they want to switch to the local SIM, and they will be charged according to local charges. Emirates is now working with Thales to see how they can integrate and offer this innovation to their customers.