Egypt has announced that it is to establish the first marine research and technology centre in the Middle East, which will specialise in marine tech, as well developing and designing marine robotics.

The expansive project comes as a collaration between several entities, including the Arab Academy of Science & Technology (AAST), Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Company (GIE), an organisation supporting the innovation ecosystem in the MENA region and worldwide, and US Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE), a partnership of organisations working to improve marine technical education.

The centre will manufacture naval robots designed to aid in the search and discovery process of petroleum and organic gas, the building and maintenance of naval network cables, as well maintenance and guarding of naval bases and operations. The planning of the project has spanned 8 years of organising robotics competitions (such as the Arab ROV) organised by the AAST and GIE.

The initiative will also be backed by several organisations, such as the Egyptian Central Bank and Bank Misr, with GIE occupying an advisory role.