From talking robots to turning everyday objects into projection screens, media companies from the UAE and beyond came together at Abu Dhabi media hub twofour54 to showcase the latest trends and innovations in the industry.

As part of UAE Innovation Month, the free zone hosted its first Connect event of the year with the theme of innovation. The event, which took place at Park Rotana on February 6, was a chance for partners at twofour54 as well as media companies from abroad to network and find out about the latest trends in tech.

Among of the ‘guests of honor’ at the event was Pepper the humanoid robot. The Abu Dhabi firm behind Pepper, twofour54 partner Yas Digital Media, specializes in creating digital experiences and solutions to help companies engage with customers.

In total, 10 firms exhibited at Connect, including Tokyo-based Naked Inc., the firm behind Tokyo Art City, which held a workshop on projection mapping, a technology that turns any object – no matter its shape – into a display surface for video projection.

Maryam Eid AlMheiri, CEO of Media Zone Authority – Abu Dhabi and twofour54 said, “Innovation is vital to developing a thriving, sustainable media industry in Abu Dhabi. The era of media dictating what a consumer should see, hear or access is over. Instead, it is the consumer who is in the driving seat, dictating to firms what content they want to consume – as well as when and how.”

She explained that innovation is not just about ideas, but about making ideas happen and that was the premise of twofour54’s Connect events.

“It gives the community the opportunity to network, to share ideas and news, to ask questions, and to act on the answers. This is why we are investing in promising start-ups and forming partnerships with like-minded organizations – and why we invited companies from around the world to join us at Connect as part of UAE Innovation Month,” she said.

Among the innovations on show were mobile app from Akyasi, KidzUnplugged, Korean company Holotive’ holograms, Fuji Television, Narrativa, Mental Images, Swoo and Tuitify.

Divyesh Mahajan, CEO of SWOO, another twofour54 partner at Connect said, “We are grateful to twofour54 for the opportunity to showcase our media platform and we were excited by the other innovations on show at Connect. This event was an excellent chance to share our expertise with like-minded businesses and we look forward to exploring opportunities with many of them in the future.”

twofour54 actively encourages entrepreneurship and innovation. Last year, it was ranked 10th on the Forbes Middle East’s list of the 50 Most Active Investors – and the second highest accelerator.