EDGE, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups, has announced that it will conduct a six-month trial on a major public security initiative with the São Paulo State Government. The partnership was announced during a high-level delegation visit by senior government members to EDGE Group headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
The ‘Proof of Concept’ (PoC), with an initial phase of six months to validate the plan and facilitate adjustments, will have three strategic targets focusing on structuring data from various systems; the analysis and integration of different solutions; and the establishment of a more efficient and rapid public security response using the latest technologies.
Based on intelligent monitoring, the project, named ‘Crystal Ball’, will prioritise surveillance and assistance to the central districts of the city of São Paulo through the deployment of advanced technologies, such as Smart CCTV Monitoring Solutions, Integrated Command and Control, Communications, Advanced Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), Intelligent Drones, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Airborne Data Intelligence, and Beacon Red’s proprietary solution “Digital Overwatch”.
The objective of the programme is to enhance visibility regarding crime statistics, identify hot spot areas, track criminal activity, support victims, and assess the impact on businesses, along with relevant metrics. By harnessing this data, the government will establish a powerful analytics capability enabling informed decision-making for law enforcement, improved resource allocation, heightened public safety, and ultimately, a reduction in crime rates.
Mansour AlMulla, Managing Director & CEO of EDGE Group, said: “We are now seeing tangible results from the valuable ‘win, win’ partnerships we have been developing with the São Paulo State Government in the strategically important Brazilian market. By exploring existing synergies and leveraging the multi-domain capabilities within EDGE’s diverse ecosystem, we have clearly identified ways in which EDGE can offer concrete solutions to the challenges faced by our partners, not only militarily, but extending our offerings of homeland security to civilian anti-crime surveillance services in major cities such as São Paulo.”
Felicio Ramuth, Vice Governor of São Paulo, said: “We welcome EDGE Group’s collaboration with the São Paulo State Government on this major public security initiative. This partnership signifies a considerable step forward in enhancing security, technology, and data-driven decision-making for our state. We are optimistic about the potential of this initiative to positively impact our region and promote a safer, more prosperous environment for our citizens, businesses, and communities.”
By the end of the trial, a detailed roadmap for expanding these capabilities to cover all of São Paulo will be developed. The POC project is built upon the successful and proven solutions created by EDGE entity BEACON RED encompassing the development of Center Of Excellence Fusion Centers currently being deployed in various UAE critical infrastructure and security organizations.
The delegation from São Paulo, which was led by the Vice Governor Felicio Ramuth; the Secretary of International Affairs Lucas Ferraz; the International Advisor for Public Security Alexandre Nepomuceno and Anderson Farias, the Mayor of São José dos Campos, had a series of meetings with EDGE Group management, and other key Abu Dhabi stakeholders, with the aim of facilitating potential strategic partnerships and to strengthen cooperation with the State of São Paulo and wider region.
This meeting follows on from a highly successful visit to São Paulo by EDGE in September 2023 and a further visit by Secretary Ferraz to EDGE’s headquarters in December 2023. This most recent exchange represents another important step in EDGE Group’s vision to solidify partnerships with the State of São Paulo and other key partners in Brazil.
