Latest news with #NajwaAaraj
Al Etihad
12-06-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Falcon-H1 language model to be offered as NVIDIA NIM Microservice
12 June 2025 19:17 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD) The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a leading global research centre headquartered in Abu Dhabi, has announced that its next-generation open-source language model, Falcon-H1, will be available as a NVIDIA Inference Microservice (NIM), a move that significantly enhances the model's enterprise deployment in parallel with NVIDIA's GTC showcase in Paris, the initiative positions Falcon-H1 for immediate integration across cloud, on-premise and hybrid environments, a statement from TII said. The availability of Falcon-H1 on NIM will enable developers to deploy it with production-grade performance, bypassing the need for complex infrastructure customisation.'Falcon-H1's availability on NVIDIA NIM reflects our ongoing leadership in shaping the future of open, sovereign, and cross-domain deployment-ready AI. It demonstrates that breakthrough innovation from our region is not only competitive on the global stage – it's setting new benchmarks for scalable, secure, and enterprise-ready AI,' said Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of is built on an innovative hybrid Transformer–Mamba architecture, blending the efficiency of state space models (SSMs) with the advanced reasoning power of Transformer networks. This design supports context windows of up to 256,000 tokens, enabling long-context reasoning and high-speed inference with reduced memory overhead. Its multilingual design ensures competitive performance across both high- and low-resource to Dr. Hakim Hacid, Chief AI Researcher at TII, 'Falcon-H1's availability on NVIDIA NIM bridges the gap between cutting-edge model design and real-world operability. It combines our hybrid architecture with the performance and reliability of NVIDIA microservices. Developers can integrate Falcon-H1 optimised for long-context reasoning, multilingual versatility, and real-world applications. What once required weeks of infrastructure tuning becomes achievable in minutes at scale, with multilingual depth, and production resilience.'The integration with NVIDIA's NeMo microservices and AI Blueprints adds full lifecycle tooling for tasks such as data curation, safety guardrails, and post-deployment optimisation. This makes Falcon-H1 a fit for regulated and latency-sensitive AI deployments, further enhancing its credentials as a sovereign AI solution. With over 55 million downloads, the Falcon model family is among the most widely adopted open-source AI efforts from the Middle East. TII's alignment with NVIDIA's enterprise-grade deployment frameworks affirms Falcon-H1's status as a production-ready, sovereign AI alternative to proprietary systems.
Mid East Info
11-06-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Technology Innovation Institute Announces Falcon-H1 model availability as NVIDIA NIM to Deliver Sovereign AI at Scale
Flagship, top ranking, open-source AI model to be production-ready via new NVIDIA NIM microservices that deliver enterprise-ready inference for thousands of LLMs Paris, France – Abu Dhabi, UAE – June 2025: Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a leading global research center and the developer behind the globally ranked Falcon open-source AI models and privacy-preserving technologies, today announced that Falcon-H1, its next-generation, hybrid-architecture large language model, will be available as an NVIDIA NIM microservice. The announcement, timed with NVIDIA's GTC Paris showcase, positions Falcon-H1 for seamless enterprise deployment across cloud, on-premise, or hybrid environments. Developers can soon access and scale Falcon-H1 with production-grade performance, without the engineering overhead typically required to adapt open-source models for real-world application. Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, commented: 'Falcon-H1's availability on NVIDIA NIM reflects our ongoing leadership in shaping the future of open, sovereign, and cross-domain deployment ready AI. It demonstrates that breakthrough innovation from our region is not only competitive on the global stage – it's setting new benchmarks for scalable, secure, and enterprise-ready AI.' At the heart of Falcon-H1 is a novel hybrid Transformer–Mamba architecture, combining the efficiency of state space models (SSMs) with the expressiveness of Transformer networks. Designed in-house by TII researchers, the architecture supports context windows of up to 256k tokens, an order-of-magnitude leap in long-context reasoning, while preserving high-speed inference and reduced memory demands. Multilingual by design, Falcon-H1 delivers robust performance ahead of models in its category, across both high- and low-resource languages, making it suited for global-scale applications. Supported soon for deployment via the universal LLM NIM microservice, Falcon-H1 becomes a plug-and-play asset for enterprises building agentic systems, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) workflows, or domain-specific assistants. Whether running with NVIDIA TensorRT-LLM, vLLM, or SGLang, NIM abstracts away the underlying inference stack, enabling developers to deploy Falcon-H1 in minutes using standard tools such as Docker and Hugging Face, with automated hardware optimization and enterprise-grade SLAs. 'Falcon-H1's availability on NVIDIA NIM bridges the gap between cutting-edge model design and real-world operability. It combines our hybrid architecture with the performance and reliability of NVIDIA microservices. Developers can integrate Falcon-H1 optimized for long-context reasoning, multilingual versatility, and real-world applications. What once required weeks of infrastructure tuning becomes achievable in minutes at scale, with multilingual depth, and production resilience', said Dr. Hakim Hacid, Chief AI Researcher at TII. The release also mark Falcon-H1's integration with NVIDIA NeMo microservices and NVIDIA AI Blueprints, giving developers access to full lifecycle tooling, from data curation and guardrailing to continuous evaluation and post-deployment tuning. Crucially, this makes Falcon-H1 viable in regulated, latency-sensitive and sovereign AI contexts, with full-stack NVIDIA support. With over 55 million downloads to date, the Falcon series has become one of the most widely adopted open-source models from the Middle East region. Beyond its scale, Falcon-H1 smaller variants routinely outperform larger peers on reasoning and mathematical tasks, while the 34B model now leads several industry benchmarks. TII's strategic alignment with NVIDIA's validated deployment framework reflects that open-source models are production-ready assets. Falcon-H1's availability on NIM cements its place among them as a sovereign, scalable, and secure alternative to closed-weight incumbents. About the Technology Innovation Institute: The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) is the dedicated applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). TII is a pioneering global research and development center that focuses on applied research and new-age technology capabilities. The Institute has 10 dedicated research centers in advanced materials, autonomous robotics, cryptography, AI and digital science, directed energy, quantum, secure systems, propulsion and space, biotechnology, and renewable and sustainable energy. By working with exceptional talent, universities, research institutions, and industry partners from all over the world, TII connects an intellectual community and contributes to building an R&D ecosystem that reinforces the status of Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a global hub for innovation.
Zawya
11-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
TII announces Falcon-H1 model availability as NVIDIA NIM to deliver sovereign AI at scale
Paris, France - Abu Dhabi, UAE: Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a leading global research center and the developer behind the globally ranked Falcon open-source AI models and privacy-preserving technologies, today announced that Falcon-H1, its next-generation, hybrid-architecture large language model, will be available as an NVIDIA NIM microservice. The announcement, timed with NVIDIA's GTC Paris showcase, positions Falcon-H1 for seamless enterprise deployment across cloud, on-premise, or hybrid environments. Developers can soon access and scale Falcon-H1 with production-grade performance, without the engineering overhead typically required to adapt open-source models for real-world application. Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, commented: 'Falcon-H1's availability on NVIDIA NIM reflects our ongoing leadership in shaping the future of open, sovereign, and cross-domain deployment ready AI. It demonstrates that breakthrough innovation from our region is not only competitive on the global stage - it's setting new benchmarks for scalable, secure, and enterprise-ready AI.' At the heart of Falcon-H1 is a novel hybrid Transformer–Mamba architecture, combining the efficiency of state space models (SSMs) with the expressiveness of Transformer networks. Designed in-house by TII researchers, the architecture supports context windows of up to 256k tokens, an order-of-magnitude leap in long-context reasoning, while preserving high-speed inference and reduced memory demands. Multilingual by design, Falcon-H1 delivers robust performance ahead of models in its category, across both high- and low-resource languages, making it suited for global-scale applications. Supported soon for deployment via the universal LLM NIM microservice, Falcon-H1 becomes a plug-and-play asset for enterprises building agentic systems, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) workflows, or domain-specific assistants. Whether running with NVIDIA TensorRT-LLM, vLLM, or SGLang, NIM abstracts away the underlying inference stack, enabling developers to deploy Falcon-H1 in minutes using standard tools such as Docker and Hugging Face, with automated hardware optimization and enterprise-grade SLAs. 'Falcon-H1's availability on NVIDIA NIM bridges the gap between cutting-edge model design and real-world operability. It combines our hybrid architecture with the performance and reliability of NVIDIA microservices. Developers can integrate Falcon-H1 optimized for long-context reasoning, multilingual versatility, and real-world applications. What once required weeks of infrastructure tuning becomes achievable in minutes at scale, with multilingual depth, and production resilience', said Dr. Hakim Hacid, Chief AI Researcher at TII. The release also mark Falcon-H1's integration with NVIDIA NeMo microservices and NVIDIA AI Blueprints, giving developers access to full lifecycle tooling, from data curation and guardrailing to continuous evaluation and post-deployment tuning. Crucially, this makes Falcon-H1 viable in regulated, latency-sensitive and sovereign AI contexts, with full-stack NVIDIA support. With over 55 million downloads to date, the Falcon series has become one of the most widely adopted open-source models from the Middle East region. Beyond its scale, Falcon-H1 smaller variants routinely outperform larger peers on reasoning and mathematical tasks, while the 34B model now leads several industry benchmarks. TII's strategic alignment with NVIDIA's validated deployment framework reflects that open-source models are production-ready assets. Falcon-H1's availability on NIM cements its place among them as a sovereign, scalable, and secure alternative to closed-weight incumbents. For technical documentation, deployment guides and model access, Falcon-H1 is available via the Falcon LLM portal, and will be supported by an upcoming release of the universal LLM NIM microservice container at About the Technology Innovation Institute: The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) is the dedicated applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). TII is a pioneering global research and development center that focuses on applied research and new-age technology capabilities. The Institute has 10 dedicated research centers in advanced materials, autonomous robotics, cryptography, AI and digital science, directed energy, quantum, secure systems, propulsion and space, biotechnology, and renewable and sustainable energy. By working with exceptional talent, universities, research institutions, and industry partners from all over the world, TII connects an intellectual community and contributes to building an R&D ecosystem that reinforces the status of Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a global hub for innovation. For more information, visit Media contacts: TII@
Khaleej Times
05-03-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Quantum Innovation Summit 2025 concludes with major announcements and strategic alliances
The Quantum Innovation Summit 2025, hosted by the UAE Cyber Security Council and organised by Vernewell Group, brought together global pioneers, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore the future of quantum science and technology. The event concluded with major announcements, strategic collaborations, and discussions that reinforced the UAE's leadership in quantum innovation. Held over three days, the summit convened key stakeholders from government, academia, and industry, featuring leading organisations such as Microsoft, IBM, D-Wave, Palo Alto Networks, IonQ, Quantlase, QuantumGate, PASQAL, ID Quantique, and Quantinuum. Experts engaged in discussions on the integration of quantum technology in computing, cryptography, AI, and cybersecurity, accelerating its adoption across industries. The event opened with the Quantum Futures Forum, aligning quantum advancements with global security and economic resilience. The Quantum Debates provided a platform for thought leaders to address challenges in governance, investment, and industrial adoption, fostering collaboration for a quantum-powered economy. The official inauguration featured a keynote address by Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, who underscored the national security imperatives of quantum technologies. This was followed by a keynote from Dr Najwa Aaraj, CEO of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), highlighting advancements in quantum computing, cryptography, and sovereign R&D capabilities. A key highlight of the summit was the launch of VerneX Quantum Valley by Vernewell Group, headquartered at NYU Abu Dhabi's Center for Quantum and Topological Systems (CQTS), to drive commercialisation and deep-tech entrepreneurship. Several strategic partnerships were also announced, including a collaboration between ID Quantique and Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy to enhance quantum-secure communications, a partnership between Kipu Quantum and CQTS NYU Abu Dhabi to advance quantum algorithm development, and a strategic alliance between Vernewell Group and REACH Group to accelerate quantum adoption. The event also featured the Quantum Marine Conference, an initiative exploring quantum's role in maritime security and operational efficiency. The Academic Aisle provided a platform for researchers and students to showcase innovations, while the Vernewell QInnovision World Challenge highlighted quantum-powered solutions. Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Dr Saeed Al Dhaheri, and Faisal Al Bannai were recognised with the National Achievement Leadership in Innovation Awards for their contributions to cybersecurity, digital transformation, and sovereign technology development. The FemTum Leap Awards honoured women shaping the future of quantum technology, emphasising the importance of inclusive leadership in deep tech. Reflecting on the summit's success, Malak Trabelsi Loeb, Founder of the Quantum Innovation Summit and CEO of Vernewell Group, stated: "With the support of the UAE Cyber Security Council, our esteemed academic partner, the Center for Quantum and Topological Systems at NYU Abu Dhabi, and key industry leaders, the summit has strengthened its position as a global platform for quantum advancement. The strategic partnerships and commitments made reinforce our mission to drive economic resilience, security, and sustainable progress through quantum technology." The next edition of the Quantum Innovation Summit is set for April 7-9, 2026, promising an expanded global network, deeper industry partnerships, and breakthrough advancements in quantum technologies.
Trade Arabia
23-02-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
VentureOne, Adasi team up to integrate autonomous flight tech
As dual-use technologies increasingly drive economies of scale worldwide, Adasi, a leader in UAV system manufacturing, has announced their adoption of two advanced autonomous flight technologies by Abu Dhabi's VentureOne: Perceptra, a new cutting-edge GPS-less navigation technology, and Saluki, a high-security flight control technology for autonomous systems. These technologies, both developed by the Technology Innovation Institute, are designed to deliver secure, resilient operations in the most challenging environments. They have been optimized for UAV manufacturers, offering enhanced resilience, precision, and security for autonomous aerial operations, it stated. The agreement between VentureOne, Adasi, and TII was formalized at IDEX 2025, the Middle East's largest defense exhibition, at which Saluki and Perceptra were unveiled. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has long been a fundamental pillar of navigation, supporting applications from everyday smartphone use to critical defense and military operations. However, this widespread reliance on GPS has exposed vulnerabilities that can be exploited through techniques like jamming and spoofing. Jamming occurs when signals on the same frequency overwhelm GPS receivers, preventing accurate location tracking, while spoofing involves transmitting counterfeit signals to deceive receivers into calculating incorrect positions or times. These vulnerabilities pose significant risks across sectors that depend on precise navigation, including autonomous drones, commercial aviation, and military aircraft. In defence and security, compromised GPS signals can impact mission success and personnel safety, while in aviation, navigation errors may cause flight path deviations and operational disruptions – reports of which have the aviation industry and international regulators such as IATA and European regulator EASA seeking urgent solutions for GPS interference, according to one Reuters report in 2024. For autonomous systems like drones and self-driving vehicles, the inability to maintain accurate positioning can create safety hazards, particularly in dynamic or high-risk environments, from aviation to defence. As the use of GPS-dependent systems continues to grow, the need for resilient, alternative navigation solutions has become increasingly critical. Perceptra and Saluki overcome many of today's numerous challenges with advanced vision-based navigation, delivering reliable, resilient performance. Dr Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, said: "Perceptra, with its GPS-less capabilities, and Saluki, with its sophisticated Zero Trust architecture, represent a significant leap in autonomous navigation with the potential to transform multiple sectors." "From supporting safe travel in commercial flights, search-and-rescue missions with precise navigation, to enabling efficient urban drone logistics for deliveries in densely populated cities, these technologies have broad real-world applications," noted Aaraj. "Their adaptability also makes them invaluable in defense, ensuring secure and resilient operations in even the most challenging environments. This collaboration reflects our commitment to developing advanced, dual-use technologies that serve both civilian and defense needs while positioning the UAE as a leader in next-generation autonomous systems," he added. Perceptra is a vision-based system that ensures reliable navigation without GPS, allowing aerial platforms to operate in GNSS-denied environments. It features visual relocking, low navigation errors, and easy integration across platforms for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare. Saluki is a secure, high-performance flight controller and mission computer with Zero Trust architecture. With PX4 compatibility, Gen AI capabilities, and 300 TOPS compute power, it supports multi-vehicle management for mission-critical defense applications. "At Adasi, we integrate only the most advanced, field-proven technologies to ensure our UAVs operate with unmatched precision, resilience, and security, even in the most contested environments," remarked its CEO Juma Al Kaabi. "Perceptra and Saluki provide exactly what next-generation UAVs require: secure, GPS-independent navigation and AI-powered mission control," he added. Reda Nidhakou, the Acting CEO of VentureOne, said: "We are dedicated to ensuring that cutting-edge research becomes reality to make a positive impact and transform industries."
