Paraic O’Toole, CEO of Automsoft, comments on WETEX participation

Paraic O’Toole is the CEO of Automsoft, a leading global provider of Artificial Intelligence based data solutions to industries and municipalities.

Automsoft is now in our third year of exhibiting at WETEX. We have returned each year as we develop and deepen our relationships in the region. This year, we announced our new partner in the region and have started discussions with a number of large industrial automation systems integrators with whom we seek to partner in the time ahead. Our interest in the region as a strategic market is driven by what we see as a fast developing infrastructure, countries which are early adopters of innovative technology and continuing economic growth into the future as the different countries move away from a reliance on hydrocarbons.

The development of smart cities, the shift to greener technologies for managing and consuming energy and the increasing move to Industry 4.0 as smart manufacturing are all signals to advanced software companies like Automsoft that this is a growth market for the future.

The attraction to us of WETEX is twofold – first, it showcases emerging technologies like ours to a region-wide audience and we are delighted to meet new faces each year and start new conversations. The second is the enthusiasm of DEWA to make sure that each exhibitor gets value from WETEX. They have an army of assistants all of whom are dedicated to sourcing key contacts for exhibitors and setting up meetings.

This year is quite different for us all. Covid19 has changed our landscape for the moment and we have all had to modify our work patterns. The introduction of Virtual WETEX has been an exciting initiative and as we approach the end of WETEX, we would describe it as a success. The virtual platform was easy to use and we quickly got accustomed to combining that with online meeting tools to conduct high value interactions with future partners.

Now that our local partnership is established, we still have work to do. The people we want to work with are very excited about our technology and the value it can bring to industries across the Middle East. Our Artificial Intelligence solution for Covid19, monitoring crowds for safety, distancing and security is a world first to be developed and we hope it will also be a world first installation in the region. Our data solutions are highly attractive to manufacturing people in the region, but we have to navigate becoming approved products to pursue all those opportunities. But we are coming out of this WETEX with a positive view of the future and our increasing presence in the region.