Watch: American retiree turned accidental academic causes a sensation in the United Arab Emirates
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Abu Dhabi: Ramesh Jagannathan, an Indian-American scientist based in Abu Dhabi, considers himself an “accidental academic” in the UAE. He joined New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) after retiring at the age of 60. And since then, he has not only reinvented himself but has also helped thousands of people establish global startups.
“When I retired, it was a surprise to me that a top academic institution contacted me for a university job in the Middle East. I had never been to this part of the world. However, my wife thought the job perfectly captured my philosophy of constantly wanting to move, take risks, and do new things. This is how I became an ‘accidental scholar’,” says Jagannathan, who was born and raised in the historic city of Mylapore in the Indian district of Tamil Nadu.
Ramesh Jagannathan with his family in the past in Tamil Nadu, India.
Image credit: supplied
Boy in a candy store
“If you’re not living on the edge, then you’re taking up too much real estate,” he argues. “In a career of 40 to 50 years, the world is going to change many times, so you have to be prepared; Otherwise, you will become a legacy when you are 30. That is why I make it a goal to reinvent myself every five years. years.”
But for someone with that life motto, Jagannathan worked at the same company for 30 years (Kodak) before retiring. Now, if you think this is a bit contradictory, you are wrong. This man, considered one of the three best scientists in the world in photographic emulsions, has been filing patents, almost on a regular basis, thus reinventing himself all the time.
“Yes, I have written almost 50 patents. “It’s something my previous company encouraged us to do,” he says. “I’m like a kid in a candy store.”
Goldene calls
Ramesh Jagannathan has written almost 50 patents throughout his career.
Image credit: supplied
Ask him what patents are about and his face lights up.
“I have developed the use of magnetic currents that can potentially distinguish cancer cells. I have also developed ‘goldene’, the result of my experience in printing research. Goldene could revolutionize the world like graphene did. People have been trying to create a material that is one atom thick, that is also a semiconductor, so that we can improve quantum computing. Goldene can potentially do all of these things,” he clarifies.
“My printing research recently helped me develop the use of calcium carbonate spray for titanium implants. It is extremely biocompatible and its use as a coating makes the insertion much less likely to be rejected by the body. The technology is ready for human trials,” she states.
Role at StartAD
Even in his current assignment at StartAD, a global accelerator powered by Tamkeen at NYUAD, he is constantly thinking outside the box. As CEO, he helps propel early-stage technology startups to launch, grow, and scale their companies.
He is also proud to be part of an expert panel appointed by the government to review the 2030 policy on the transition to a knowledge-based society in the UAE.
Ramesh Jagannathan says more than 7,000 participants have benefited from StartAD’s programs since its launch.
Image credit: supplied
“Since its inception, more than 7,000 participants have benefited from our programs and 250 global startups from 40 countries have graduated,” he says. “The goal is to commercialize intellectual capital by helping to develop the ability to commercialize ideas,” she shares.
“We focus on the early stages of the innovation process, working with startups to de-risk their ideas and prepare them for investors, and we also go deeper with companies to identify their current and future product needs. This pairing ensures that ideas fit into the product market, which is beneficial for both the startup and the company,” he says.
Untapped opportunities
According to him, there is also an immense opportunity for startups and investors to use the UAE as a base to serve the MENA region’s 400 million people, a huge untapped market that represents the opportunity of a lifetime.
“And we also have a vast and diverse market on our doorstep. The global consumer class is expected to reach 5.2 billion people by 2030, of which more than 3 billion will be in India, China and Africa. Since MENA is part of this ICA corridor, there is a golden opportunity to serve this global business economic landscape,” he adds.
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