IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi hosts AIMS 2025 to advance global dialogue on AI and sustainable technologies

The conference addressed key sustainability themes such as AI-enabled materials discovery, data-driven modelling for energy and chemical systems, carbon capture and utilisation, circular resource strategies, and AI in experimental science

As countries accelerate efforts to tackle climate change, energy transition, and the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence, universities are taking on a broader role of connecting disciplines, enabling collaboration, and translating research into solutions with real-world impact. The International Conference on AI and Materials for Sustainability (AIMS 2025), organised by IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi (IITD-AD) from 15 to 17 December, illustrated this evolving role with depth and clarity.

Conceived and led by IITD-AD, AIMS 2025 aligned closely with the UAE National AI Strategy 2031 and the country’s Net Zero by 2050 goal, reflecting Abu Dhabi’s ambition to advance high-value sectors, including energy, materials, manufacturing, and chemical processes, through sustainable solutions. By locating the conference in Abu Dhabi, AIMS 2025 highlighted the Emirate’s growing prominence as a global hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development.

Beginning with a pre-conference workshop on 14 December at the IITD-AD campus in Khalifa City, AIMS 2025 unfolded over three days with more than 400 delegates and over 100 speakers from more than 20 countries participating in 24 technical[MH1]  sessions, 4 specialised workshops, over 200 research presentations, and 14 awards recognising excellence in scientific work. Showcasing remarkable breadth for a campus in only its second year, the conference drew on IIT Delhi’s six-decade legacy, leveraging its academic strengths, global networks, and culture of innovation to position IITD-AD as a leading centre for global research collaboration.

The conference addressed key themes in sustainability research, including AI-enabled materials discovery, data-driven modelling for energy and chemical systems, carbon capture and utilisation, circular resource strategies, and AI in experimental science. Each session emphasised methodological rigor, reproducibility, and potential for real-world application.

AIMS 2025 was framed within both a historical and regional context. Prof. Mohammad Ali Haider, vice provost for Research and External Engagement at IITD-AD, emphasised the continuum of human inquiry, “Artificial intelligence and advanced materials are not solely products of the modern era. Their foundations stretch across centuries; from Āryabhaṭa’s mathematical innovations, through Al-Khwārizmi’s algorithms, to Jābir ibn Ḥayyān’s experimental approaches in chemistry and materials science. Recognising this shared intellectual heritage highlights how knowledge has flowed across regions, connecting past wisdom with today’s technological and sustainability challenges.” This historical context finds true resonance in Abu Dhabi, where tradition, heritage and forward-looking ambition intersect. Just minutes from the conference venue, Masdar City exemplifies sustainable urban innovation, while the UAE’s carbon capture facility at Al Reyadah, in a hard-to-abate sector demonstrates the translation of knowledge into practical, high-impact solutions.

Distinguished researchers from leading international institutions enriched the conference discussions, bringing perspectives that bridged fundamental science and applied sustainability research. Awards for outstanding oral and poster presentations by the reputed journals of the American Chemical Society reinforced alignment with global standards of academic excellence and scholarly rigor.

The conference also showcased the UAE’s growing research ecosystem, with leading faculty from Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), and representatives from International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) contributing regional insights on decarbonisation, AI systems, and sustainability policy. These interactions highlighted the integration of IITD-AD within Abu Dhabi’s scientific landscape and its role in connecting global expertise with local challenges.

AIMS 2025 paid particular attention to early-career researchers and students. Doctoral candidates, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduates engaged directly with senior scientists, receiving feedback on methodology, presentation, and career development. Workshops on data-driven materials design, AI-enabled experimental workflows, scientific communication and Lab-to-Industry pathways complemented the technical programme, reinforcing IITD-AD’s commitment to cultivating research capability alongside innovation and entrepreneurship. Senior leaders from international scientific organisations interacted with IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi’s undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students, offering insight into the realities of global research careers.

Importantly, AIMS was the culmination of a year-long series of engagements led by IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi, including the Quantum Technology Workshop, Carbon Capture and Beyond Symposium, AI, Security and Silicon Research Symposium, Energy and AI Summer Bootcamps for high-school students and IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi Ignite 2025 startup event inviting deep-tech startups from UAE-India landscape. Immediately following AIMS, the Workshop on Photonics, Genomics and AI for Health centered Abu Dhabi in launching new Indo-Norwegian collaborations in healthcare technologies, further extending the campus’s influence across disciplines.

In his concluding remarks, Prof. Shantanu Roy, executive director at IITD-AD stated: “AIMS 2025 signals not only the growth of IITD-AD as a research institution but also Abu Dhabi’s evolution as a regional hub for scientific collaboration and sustainable innovation.”

As IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi campus completes its second year of establishment, AIMS 2025 stands as a defining moment: a conference where emerging scholars met global leaders, where ideas were rigorously discussed and shared, and where the campus’s role in shaping a knowledge-driven, sustainable future in the UAE was made unmistakably clear.