SPARK, Aster DM Healthcare to shape the future of healthcare innovation in the UAE

In Sharjah, the future of healthcare is getting a serious boost. Aster DM Healthcare, one of the Gulf’s largest integrated healthcare providers, has joined forces with the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK). The signing, graced by Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, took place during the Sharjah Next: Healthcare forum — a two-day gathering of thinkers and trailblazers shaping the next era of medicine.

This partnership isn’t just another handshake and photo op. It’s a strategic move to transform scientific research and innovation into tangible benefits for patients and the healthcare industry across the UAE.

How does it work?

At its core, the agreement lays out a roadmap for joint research and development in:

• Medical technology and bio-innovation
• Artificial intelligence for diagnostics
• Data-driven healthcare solutions
• Sustainable clinical innovation

SPARK’s world-class innovation environment meets Aster’s clinical expertise to accelerate the translation of research into practical applications. As Ms. Alisha Moopen, Managing Director and Group CEO of Aster DM Healthcare, put it, “By combining Aster’s clinical expertise with SPARK’s robust innovation ecosystem, we aim to pioneer technologies and models of care that improve patient outcomes and advance the UAE’s position as a global hub for medical excellence.”

The collaboration also outlines frameworks for intellectual property, data protection, and ethical research. Aster retains commercialization rights for innovations born out of this alliance — ensuring that the ideas don’t stay in labs but reach clinics and patients.

Why does it matter?

Because this isn’t theory — it’s the UAE betting on science, data, and collaboration to transform its healthcare system. By linking academia, industry, and clinical practice, SPARK and Aster are creating a bridge between brilliant ideas and life-saving impact.

Dr. Asma Mahmoud Fikri, Director of Government and Corporate Partnerships at SPARK, captured it perfectly: “This partnership marks a new chapter in linking world-class healthcare providers with our innovation ecosystem.”

For the UAE, this means:

• Faster adoption of AI and biotechnology in healthcare
• Homegrown research with global relevance
• Stronger ethical and data frameworks to protect patients
• Training and nurturing of the next generation of medical innovators

It’s a move that promises to make healthcare not just more advanced, but more human — smarter, faster, and deeply connected to local realities.

The context

The partnership lands at a pivotal moment. Around the world, health systems are racing to harness technology to meet the rising demands of an aging population and the ever-present challenge of new diseases. In the GCC, the momentum is particularly strong, and the UAE is determined to be at the forefront.

SPARK, under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, has become a magnet for cross-sector collaboration, uniting academia, government, and private players under one roof. Aster DM Healthcare, with its vast regional network and focus on digital transformation, is a natural fit.

Together, they’re not just chasing the future of healthcare — they’re building it, right here in Sharjah.