Company: Technology Innovation Institute (TII), Abu Dhabi, UAE
Company Description: The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) is a leading global research center dedicated to pushing the frontiers of knowledge. Our teams of scientists, researchers and engineers work in an open, flexible and agile environment to deliver discovery science and transformative technologies.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Female Entrepreneur in Europe, the Middle East & Africa
 Nomination Title: Dr. Najwa Aaraj
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 64 words used.
Dr. Najwa Aaraj’s thesis: https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.5555/1751518
Dr. Najwa Aaraj’s publications: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&
Dr. Najwa Aaraj’s book:
https://www.amazon.ae/Hardware-Architectures-Post-Quantum-Digital-Si/dp/3030576841
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Recent publications:
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2022 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 235 words used.
Dr. Najwa Aaraj has spearheaded several groundbreaking initiatives at TII that have positioned Abu Dhabi as a technology leader. Most recently, she supported the team who developed TII’s latest iteration of Falcon - the Falcon Mamba 7B, which revolutionizes AI language models with a new architecture as the first State Space Language Model (SSLM) for Falcon, and the no. 1 globally performing open-source SSLM as independently verified by Hugging Face.
Dr. Aaraj also oversaw the development of a Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) library, designed to secure future digital infrastructure against quantum threats. Additionally, she helped launch several initiatives related to blockchain and privacy preserving technologies.
TII has also achieved breakthroughs in unmanned autonomous vehicles under Dr. Najwa’s guidance, including UAVs, USVs, UUVs, and UGVs, enhancing safety and efficiency in sectors like search and rescue and environmental monitoring. She also guided the creation of AMALLOY3D, a high-strength aluminium alloy for 3D printing, setting new industry standards for performance at elevated temperatures.
Her leadership also expanded TII’s Directed Energy Research Center with state-of-the-art research on high power lasers, radar technologies, phonotics and EMC testing facilities, amongst other areas, boosting the resilience of local industries. Furthermore, she supports the Quantum Research Center, which recently developed Qibo, an open-source hybrid quantum operating system, now adopted by leading global research institutions.
Dr. Aaraj’s achievements have significantly bolstered TII’s reputation and established the UAE as a hub for cutting-edge research and innovation.
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 200 words used.
Dr. Najwa Aaraj’s journey into technology was influenced by her strong background in mathematics and a family history rooted in engineering, finance and medicine. Encouraged by a family of strong women accomplished in fields such as medicine and finance, she pursued engineering to make her mark.
Her path in applied cryptography and embedded systems security began as she obtained a fellowship to pursue her PhD at Princeton University in 2004, where she graduated with highest distinction and has since worked in relevant fields.
As CEO of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), Dr. Aaraj has overseen significant advancements in areas like cryptography, AI, quantum computing, and autonomous systems. Her leadership emphasizes both technological progress and fostering diversity and inclusion within the STEM fields.
Dr. Aaraj is an Adviser within the Strategic Advisory Group at Paladin Capital Group in DC and Adjunct Professor at MBZUAI, UAE and OIST University, Japan. She is also a board member of Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB).
She received a Special Recognition award at the Arab Woman Awards 2021, held in partnership with the United Nations to recognise the notable achievements of the region’s women. She also received the Wu Prize of Research Excellence from Princeton University.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 210 words used.
The achievements are significant due to their impact on both global technological advancements and the strategic positioning of the UAE in the tech industry. The Falcon Mamba 7B model, for example, stands out as an open-source AI model that has outperformed many proprietary models from established tech giants. The Falcon Mamba 7B has also democratized access to cutting-edge AI technology, which is uncommon in an industry where access to advanced models is often restricted.
In the area of autonomous systems, the secure and resilient technologies have set new benchmarks in operational safety, surpassing many of the current industry standards. These technologies have practical applications across multiple sectors, making them versatile and impactful.
The development of AMALLOY3D under Dr. Aaraj's guidance marks a significant improvement in additive manufacturing materials, offering performance capabilities at elevated temperatures that were previously unattainable. This positions TII as a leader in materials science.
The post-quantum cryptography library is particularly unique as it addresses emerging quantum threats, a challenge that few organizations are currently equipped to handle. This initiative places TII ahead of many in the field, preparing for a future where quantum computing could disrupt current cryptographic standards.
These developments represent a leap in both scale and impact, reinforcing the UAE’s leadership in the technology sector.
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