Dr Arthur (Art) Morrish is Chief Executive Officer at ASPIRE, the dedicated technology programme management pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), which was set up in May 2020 to shape the Emirate’s R&D strategy.

An experienced senior executive with deep knowledge of the advanced tech sector, Dr Morrish brings more than 30 years of professional experience in developing and managing innovative, technical solutions to a wide array of commercial challenges, in addition to overseeing multi-million-dollar, cross-business programmes from inception to advanced prototype then transition to internal and external customers.

In his current role, Dr Morrish will be responsible for leading ASPIRE, which drives the creation of future transformative technologies by working with cross-sector industry stakeholders, universities and research institutes to frame problem statements, and which also launches grand challenges and international competitions to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Before taking up his role to lead ASPIRE, Dr Morrish was the vice president for Advanced Concepts and Technology with the Raytheon Intelligence and Space Systems (RIS), a leading US-based provider of integrated sensor, communication and electronic systems and space systems. He led a group of scientists, engineers, and support staff in seven key locations for the McKinney, Texas-based RIS business where his management portfolio included development and implementation of emerging system concepts, products, and strategic technologies.

In prior roles, Dr Morrish served as vice president and chief technology officer for the Electronic Systems Group business segment of L-3 Communications in Arlington, Virginia, and prior to that, he was director of the Tactical Technology Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington.

Dr Morrish holds a doctorate in analytic chemistry from the University of Maryland. He had also earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science from Michigan State University.

Dr Ray O. Johnson is Chief Executive Officer of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), which aims to be a leading global research centre dedicated to pushing the frontiers of knowledge. In this role, Dr Johnson will work on shaping the strategic direction of the Institute and lead the execution of its growth strategies to achieve operational excellence.

Dr Johnson brings to TII more than four decades of experience in global technology leadership, making strategic investments in disruptive technologies, and developing business strategies that resulted in several new billion-dollar lines of business. He also holds outstanding networking capabilities; he has met with leaders in the highest echelons of government, industry, and academia. He is frequently sought after as a speaker at global forums on business, strategy, innovation, and education.

Prior to joining TII, Dr Johnson was an Operating Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, a top-tier American venture capital company that has been part of 130 IPOs in the last 50 years. Founded in 1911, Bessemer Venture Partners is the oldest venture capital firm in the USA. Earlier, he was Corporate Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, in Maryland, USA, where he was responsible for operational performance and the associated board-reportable metrics. He led Engineering and Technology, Production Operations, Global Supply Chain, Program Management, and Logistics and Sustainment, while managing more than 72,000 people working on over 4,000 programmes. He also led the Advanced Technology Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a profit and loss (P&L) centre focused on generation-after-next technologies.

Previously, Dr Johnson was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Modern Technology Solutions, Inc, where he developed business strategies, implementation plans, and executive-level metrics to refine the company’s strategic direction and vision. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and Business Unit General Manager at SAIC, a premier Fortune 500® technology integrator and leader of US digital transformation efforts. In this role, he turned around and realigned four entities within the company and led and won a competitive multi-year US$800 million program.

Dr Johnson holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Ohio, USA. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. He is a Full Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, and a Fellow of the International Society for Optical Engineering and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Dr Fareed Al Amiri looks after the R&D Ecosystem, Partnerships & Government Affairs Sector at Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), which was set up in May 2020 to shape the emirate’s R&D strategy.

With 20 years’ experience in innovation and knowledge management, Dr Fareed brings value to the effort to drive capability and entrepreneurship development, commercialise entrepreneurial and R&D projects and promote organisational excellence.

Dr Fareed started his career as an entrepreneur in customising professional training in STEM fields, later dedicating himself to a similar role at the University of Sharjah with an aim to transfer knowledge to different industries through the R&D centre. During this time, Dr Fareed was seconded to the Arabic Science & Technology Foundation, where he helped commercialise and implement potential R&D projects in the Arab World through regional investors.

Kelsey Warner is the Future Editor at The National where she oversees coverage of what innovations and trends are reshaping society. She also co-hosts the weekly Business Extra podcast. Her reporting has appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, Forbes Middle East and MSN. Prior to becoming a journalist, Kelsey led a Boston-based non-profit that supplied emergency funding to families facing homelessness. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia Journalism School.