Cassidian, Emiraje, and Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research completed the first phase of establishing a Cyber Operations Centre of Excellence agreed under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed in May 2010.

The Centre of Excellence is intended to help increase the intellectual capital in cyber technology areas within Khalifa University in particular and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) more generally.

The Centre of Excellence will provide research and demonstration capabilities for cyber activities and developments. It will particularly focus on Cryptology, Forensics and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) security.

The collaboration program specified within the MoU also includes various activities such as an agreed collaborative research program, summer internship opportunities for Khalifa University students in various Cassidian facilities, a program of lectures on the topic of cyber security by visiting specialists in the field and the sponsorship of appropriate postgraduate studies.