New technologies changing security, safety and fire protection landscape

The 20th edition of Intersec, the world’s leading trade fair for security, safety, and fire protection, highlights the growing importance of US$12.2 billion industry in protecting lives, communities, businesses and assets

The latest trends in artificial intelligence, smart technologies and robotics dominated the 20th edition of Intersec, the world’s leading trade fair for security, safety and fire protection, with dozens of product launches and live demonstrations providing a glimpse of the future.
More than 5,000 brands were showcased across seven focus areas of Commercial Security, Fire & Rescue, Safety & Health, Homeland Security & Policing, Information & Cyber Security, Perimeter & Physical Security, and Smart Home and Building Automation.
H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Intersec’s Patron, who graced the occasion at its opening on January 21 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre said: “Safety and security has increasingly grown in importance for all of us today and over the last 20 years, Intersec has grown into the most important trade show for safety and security globally.”
Fire & Rescue recorded the largest year-on-year exhibitor growth at Intersec 2018, with 448 companies on board this year, a 24 percent increase over 2017. Information & Cyber Security too continues its upward growth trajectory, and this year features 52 exhibitors dedicated to combating cyber threats, espionage, and online criminals.
Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Intersec’s organizer Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said: “Spearheaded by the UAE, the Middle East has undergone rapid economic transformation, and with it, the need to keep critical infrastructure, assets and people safe and secure.
“That rapid transformation is reflected in the market itself, and when Intersec made its debut in 1999, when it featured just 61 exhibitors, the Middle East homeland and commercial security market combined was worth just US$52 million. Since then, the market has grown at a remarkable compound annual growth rate of 33 percent, and is currently worth US$12.2 billion.”
Dubai Police, one of Intersec’s long-standing Government Partners, along with the Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Police Academy, the Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), and for the first time in 2018, the Dubai Municipality, showcased how the use of AI and smarter technologies would keep residents, visitors, and communities safe.
It also showcased Robocop prototypes and new smart services that are already in place in its fully automated smart police station, which recently opened in September 2017.
Brig. Khalid Nasser Al Razooqi, Dubai Police’s Director General of Artificial Intelligence, gave an overview of the Government body’s vision toward using AI and robots in policing and protection.
“The Dubai Police has a target to be the smartest police force in the world, and we’ve been working on a new strategy based on AI that will ultimately increase the happiness of our residents and build Dubai to be the safest city in the world,” said Al Razooqi.
“We plan to use AI to help us not only reduce crimes, but increase our ability to predict potential crimes before they happen, along with reducing traffic accidents. We’ve introduced a crime prediction system as well as accident prediction system that can study the behaviors of drivers.
Al Razooqi said Dubai Police plans to open another eight Smart Police Stations in 2018, and while AI and robots will in the future take over more routine daily jobs, that won’t mean less ‘human’ manpower.”
Among the new features at the 20th edition of Intersec was an indoor Drone Zone, along with two dedicated conferences on Drones and Artificial Intelligence. Greg Agvent, Senior Director for CNN Aerial Imaging and Reporting, spoke at the Intersec Drones Conference about the potential uses for drones in information gathering.
Agvent said drones can be effective to not only deliver new perspective of journalism and reporting, but can also be important tools for data capture that can have much wider implications.
Agvent said Middle East Broadcasters wishing to utilize drones need to engage with their respective civil authorities and manufactures.
Intersec has proved over the years to be a fruitful business platform for global leaders and industry start-ups alike. Korean company IDIS has exhibited for the past several years, and has watched its projects and partnerships in the Middle East expand significantly as a result of contacts established during the show.
“We’ve expanded our partner network with many due to the success of exhibiting at Intersec from 2015 to 2017,” said Harry Kwon, General Manager for IDIS in the Middle East and North Africa.
“We’ve established new end-user customers and struck up strategic partnerships such as with G4S in Egypt and Saudi Arabia as a direct result of Intersec, with a number of projects now complete or underway.
“We were first introduced to Al Sulaiman Security Systems and Services (A4S) at Intersec two years ago and since then IDIS MENA has struck up a strategic alliance with A4S with the partnership paying dividends. Both companies are now working on 150 leads and ten live projects. And we’re thrilled to announce at Intersec 2018 our project with Al Sulaiman Jewellers, that comprises 100 IDIS camera solution across 18 branches as well as offices,” added Kwon.
Meanwhile, Germany’s DoorBird was one of more than 30 companies in Intersec 2018’s fast-developing Smart Home and Building Automation section. A debut exhibitor in 2017, DoorBird returned this year to showcase the 2nd generation of its IP Video Door Station.
Pierre Dinnies, DoorBird’s Key Account Manager said the 2nd iteration was developed specifically to handle extreme Middle East conditions, enabling users to access their home’s video intercom via their mobile device and DoorBird App anywhere in the world, in real-time.
“ “Users can also program DoorBird so that it automatically locks and unlocks at designated times, allowing access to homes if required, for example, cleaning or maintenance companies. Everything is recorded and it can be integrated with existing home automation and security systems, so the opportunities are endless,” he said
In the Safety and Health section, American-headquartered Industrial Scientific launched its gas detection and safety analytics solutions used across a variety of high risk industries including Public Safety, Civil Defence, Oil and Gas, Chemical Production, Mining, Steel Manufacturing and Construction.
The three-day event featured 1,337 exhibitors from 59 countries, covering 60,000sqm of space, a five percent increase over the previous year.