The MoU focuses on unlocking AI adoption, sovereign enabled cloud infrastructure, and secure industrial data sharing via Assolombarda’s forgIA initiative, empowering its network of more than 440,000 people across 7,158 member companies
13 October 2026, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Core42, a G42 company specializing in sovereign enabled cloud and AI infrastructure, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Assolombarda, a leading Italian territorial association within the Confindustria System, representing enterprises across Milan, Monza and Brianza, Lodi, and Pavia. The agreement establishes a knowledge-sharing framework to promote AI adoption and sovereign enabled cloud infrastructure through Assolombarda’s forgIA initiative, a secure and interoperable industrial data environment designed to enable data sharing and the development of industry-specific AI applications while safeguarding data sovereignty and intellectual property.
By bringing together Core42’s expertise and scale in sovereign enabled cloud and AI infrastructure and Assolombarda’s extensive industrial network, the partnership aims to give member companies access to Core42’s experience in deploying AI at scale and to connect the industrial ecosystem of Lombardy with the technology ecosystem of Abu Dhabi. This will help businesses as they explore advanced AI applications while addressing data governance and security requirements.
The agreement identifies key areas of collaboration to advance AI adoption across Lombardy’s industrial base. Core42 will share expertise in secure sovereign enabled cloud and AI architecture to support forgIA’s approach to data governance, confidentiality, and industrial value chain security, drawing on lessons from successful deployments across the UAE and beyond.
The collaboration will explore a dedicated channel within forgIA through which member companies can leverage Core42’s technical expertise, including workshops and guidance on evaluating sovereign enabled AI and cloud approaches. A knowledge-sharing programme of roundtables, webinars, and forums will help to address industrial data management and cybersecurity.
The MoU also provides for strategic networking between Assolombarda’s member companies and technology companies across the wider G42 ecosystem, connecting member companies interested in exploring AI adoption with partners and capabilities in the UAE that can help them take the next step.
This announcement builds on Assolombarda’s expanding presence in the UAE, which began in January 2026 with the opening of a dedicated space within the Hub for Made in Italy in Abu Dhabi and will extend to an operational office in Dubai.
Talal M. Al Kaissi, Chief Executive Officer, Core42, said: “The MoU reflects Core42’s focus on enabling AI at scale through secure, governed infrastructure that helps organizations move AI into production. For industrial businesses, sovereignty means keeping control of their data and meeting their governance requirements while gaining access to advanced AI capabilities. That is the experience we are sharing with forgIA. Together with Assolombarda, we are giving member companies across Lombardy access to the expertise we have built in taking sovereign enabled AI into production, and to the partners across our network who can help them apply it. This MoU marks the start of that collaboration, and we look forward to building on it.”
Commenting on the partnership, Alvise Biffi, President of Assolombarda, said: “Today, the digital transition and data sovereignty represent the central challenges for the future competitiveness of businesses. From this perspective, collaborating with a high-caliber international technology partner such as Core42 forms part of our Association’s steadfast commitment to providing our territory with cutting-edge expertise and infrastructure. This offers our more than 7,158 member companies concrete, secure tools to drive the adoption of Artificial Intelligence and strengthen their positioning in global markets. The collaboration initiated between the ecosystems of Milan and Abu Dhabi transforms traditional bilateral trade into a systemic partnership capable of uniting our manufacturing excellence with the UAE’s strategic vision and global connectivity. In this regard, I believe this agreement provides further momentum to relations with the Gulf region.”
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About Core42
Core42, a G42 company, empowers individuals, enterprises, and nations to unlock the full potential of AI through its comprehensive enablement capabilities. As a leading provider of sovereign enabled cloud, AI infrastructure, and services, our mission is to accelerate the achievements of others and help them reach their most ambitious goals. We are building the digital backbone that powers AI-native societies. We operate the G42 Intelligence Grid that turns compute into tokens at massive scale and functions as a global factory for manufactured intelligence. These foundations are essential to deploy advanced AI, unlock proprietary data, and drive real outcomes. To learn more, please visit www.core42.ai and follow Core42 LinkedIn, Core42 Instagram and Core42 X.
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About Assolombarda
Assolombarda is the business association representing companies operating in the Metropolitan City of Milan and the provinces of Lodi, Monza and Brianza, and Pavia. By size and representativeness, Assolombarda is the largest association in the entire Confindustria System. It represents and protects the interests of over 7,158 national and international businesses of all sizes, producing goods and services across all industry sectors. Assolombarda has maintained a presence in the GCC countries for ten years through dozens of operational missions and visits across the Gulf region, involving over five hundred companies. The Association has contributed to the formalization of numerous memoranda of understanding, strengthening dialogue and collaboration with institutional partners and key local stakeholders. http://www.assolombarda.it