Shanghai-based investment firm Atlas Capital Holding is to help create a ‘Blockchain Campus’ inside District 2020, an integrated community that will use infrastructure and buildings from the Expo 2020 Dubai site after the event closes.
Atlas Capital joins Siemens and Accenture, which have already confirmed their partnership with District 2020.
The 4.38sqkm expo site will seamlessly transform to become a research and technology hub called District 2020, once the expo officially closes in 2021. District 2020 aims to be an integrated community that is future-proof, and caters to the needs of its workers, residents, and visitors.
Marjan Faraidooni, chief pavilions and exhibitions officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “The announcement is another testament to our vision of creating a holistic, innovation-focused environment for companies of different sizes and across different industries and technologies to collaborate and maximise synergies, towards mutual gain.”
Rain Huan, co-founder and managing partner at Atlas Capital, said: “Committing to District 2020 is an exciting new chapter for Atlas Capital. Our vision is to support Dubai in its goal of developing into a long-term hub for innovation by creating a Blockchain Campus of the future – an industry hub dedicated to connecting blockchain researchers and entrepreneurs with investors.”
This plays to District 2020’s goal of bringing together companies from key industries, such as travel, tourism, logistics and transport, education, and construction, with the key technologies, according to a statement from District 2020.
Expanding more on the hub, he said: “District 2020 will provide the ideal location to build a community-driven blockchain and fintech ecosystem capable of attracting accelerators from all over the world. The campus will offer a Research & Development (R&D) space, as well as educational and funding facilities.”
“These sophisticated facilities will support start-ups and established businesses, help launch research projects, and host blockchain industry events, conferences, and hackathons. There is even an opportunity for us to create a digital currency and official blockchain wallet as we innovate into the future,” Huan further added.
Faraidooni added: “It is a priority of ours to curate and bring together the right partners and tenants necessary for our ecosystem to grow.”
“This includes engaging with leading global enterprises, SMEs, and start-ups, as well as key enablers of a successful innovation district such as education providers and social and cultural institutions. Atlas Capital and our shared plans for the Blockchain Campus demonstrate just how high our ambitions are set in this regard,” he concluded.
