The collaboration aims to turn scientific discoveries into practical healthcare solutions by combining MIT’s research expertise with Abu Dhabi’s expanding life sciences ecosystem.
The agreement was announced during the BIO International Convention 2026 in San Diego, California, and is expected to strengthen corneal transplantation services while improving access to sight-restoring care across the UAE and the wider region.
The agreement brings together Lilly’s expertise in developing innovative medicines with Abu Dhabi’s advanced healthcare infrastructure, population-scale health data, and genomics capabilities.
The agreement establishes a formal gateway between Abu Dhabi and California, creating new opportunities for collaboration across research, innovation, investment, and commercialization.
Through the HELM Cluster, the emirate has brought together research institutions, advanced healthcare infrastructure, genomics programs, manufacturing capabilities, and distribution networks within a single ecosystem.
The proposed centre will operate within Abu Dhabi’s Health, Endurance, Longevity, and Medicine (HELM) Cluster, a strategic life sciences platform that integrates research, healthcare delivery, investment, commercialization, and biomanufacturing.
The initiative integrates Johnson & Johnson’s Polyphonic™ open digital ecosystem with DOH Abu Dhabi and leading technology partners, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and NVIDIA.