<a href="https://dar.com/">Dar</a> sponsored the third annual Digital Twin Summit in Dubai, where we showcased the Para technology and our wider digital services and solutions. The event was held on February 20th, 2024, and brought together industry leaders and experts to discuss the latest advancements in digital twin technology and its potential to revolutionize several sectors, including the built environment and AEC space.
At the summit, Dar&#8217;s Digital Solutions and Services team presented a live demo of Para, showcasing our technology&#8217;s vast capabilities for improving operator and facility manager&#8217;s vision of enhancing their portfolio of assets and making them more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable.
We also highlighted our capabilities within our extensive digital services offerings, and <a href="https://www.coppertreeanalytics.com/">CopperTree Analytics</a>, our sister company that specializes in energy management and building analytics.
<img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-912 size-large aligncenter" src="https://backend.paratwin.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DT-summit-2024-body-image-1024x431.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="269" srcset="https://backend.paratwin.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DT-summit-2024-body-image-1024x431.jpg 1024w, https://backend.paratwin.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DT-summit-2024-body-image-300x126.jpg 300w, https://backend.paratwin.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DT-summit-2024-body-image-768x323.jpg 768w, https://backend.paratwin.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DT-summit-2024-body-image.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
Faysal Shair, Para CEO, and Director of Digital Solutions and Services, gave an insightful presentation on decarbonizing the built environment for the AEC industry using Digital Twin technology. He emphasized the technology&#8217;s potential to optimize and reduce carbon emissions.
Para&#8217;s Domain Expert, Shyam Sekar, actively contributed to a panel discussion on &#8220;Accelerating Digital Twin adoption with AI to design and build sustainable communities,&#8221; sharing Dar and Para&#8217;s expertise and insights on AI with industry peers.
We enjoyed discussing the potential applications of digital twin technology and smart building consultancy in various projects with an engaging audience of clients, prospects, and experts. These conversations confirmed the growing interest in digital twins as a critical driver for innovation and sustainability in the AEC sector and beyond. Dar&#8217;s participation in the summit aligns with Sidara&#8217;s wider vision of improving communities and livability globally.
The company&#8217;s commitment to digitalization was evident throughout the event. The discussions and partnerships fostered during the summit will further strengthen Dar&#8217;s position as a leader in the digital transformation of the built environment.

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Dar sponsored the Digital Twin Summit in Dubai, showcasing digital services & solutions

Sidara, a global collaborative of leading specialist firms, has cemented its position as a design powerhouse, achieving top rankings in numerous categories on <a href="https://www.enr.com/toplists">Engineering News-Record&#8217;s</a> (ENR) prestigious 2023 list of Top 10 International Design Firms.
This year, <a href="https://www.enr.com/toplists/2023-Top-225-International-Design-Firms-Preview">Sidara secured the number one spot in four key markets</a>: airports, healthcare, religious and cultural, and education projects. Additionally, the firm earned impressive second-place rankings in general building, commercial and bank, entertainment and theme park, and bridges categories. Further solidifying its success, Sidara claimed third place in pharmaceuticals, retail, sports, and correctional developments.
These outstanding achievements highlight the collaborative spirit and innovative prowess of Sidara&#8217;s collective. The collective&#8217;s unwavering commitment to driving livability, sustainability, and cutting-edge digital solutions shines through in each of these recognized projects.
This recognition solidifies Sidara&#8217;s reputation as a global leader in diverse design fields, consistently pushing boundaries and delivering projects that positively impact communities worldwide.
The Para engagement and deployment is part of Sidara’s ecosystem of world-class brands that have worked on some of the most iconic and impactful projects worldwide. Our team of highly trained operational, technology, and cyber security engineers draw on Sidara’s 19,000+ multidisciplinary design, engineer, and technology specialists.

Sidara ranks top 10 International Design Firm in ENR latest ranking

<a href="https://dar.com/">Dar</a> is officially part of the newly launched <a href="https://sidaracollaborative.com/">Sidara</a>, formerly Dar Group. Sidara is a global collaborative of leading specialist firms that designs for people and the planet, with leading brands including <a href="https://dar.com/">Dar</a>, <a href="https://perkinswill.com/">Perkins&amp;Will</a>, <a href="https://www.curriebrown.com/">Currie &amp; Brown</a>, <a href="https://www.tylin.com/">TYLin</a>, and <a href="https://www.penspen.com/">Penspen</a>. This collective offers everything from architecture and design, engineering, and project management to digital strategy, sustainability consulting, and energy innovation.
The news was unveiled at <a href="https://www.cop28.com/en/">CO28</a> on Monday 4 December, and announced by Sidara Chairman and CEO Talal Shair. The annual meeting of the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC is a crucial lynchpin in international efforts to address climate change.
As one of the main sponsors of COP28’s Green Zone, Dar hosted their very own Dar Pavilion in the Energy Transition Hub: a series of events featuring experts, specialists from across Dar’s global network, client representatives, and global partners.
Para proudly led the panel on Redefining Smart Buildings with AI-powered Digital Twins, moderated by Dar’s Head of Sustainability, Balsam Nehme, and featuring panelists Faysal Shair (Head of Digital Solutions and Services, Dar), Yehia Madkour (Director of Innovation, Perkins&amp;Will), Amelia Feehan (Senior Building Analyst, <a href="https://www.verdantix.com/">Verdantix</a>), Derek John Mullassery (COO, <a href="https://www.coppertreeanalytics.com/">CopperTree Analytics</a>) and Shyam Sekar (Solutions Strategist, <a href="https://paratwin.io/home">Para</a>).
The panel discussed the transformative potential of AI powered digital twins in revolutionizing smart building design, operation and optimization, and its role in future sustainable practices within the built environment.
Also featured at COP, Derek John Mullassery (COO of <a href="https://www.coppertreeanalytics.com/">CopperTree Analytics</a>) spoke on decarbonizing the built environment through building analytics.
Sidara is committed to playing a leading role in addressing the climate crisis and building a more sustainable future for all. We are excited to be part of this important conversation at COP28 and look forward to working with our partners to make a real difference.
<a href="https://sidaracollaborative.com/">Sidaracollaborative.com</a>

Sidara, formerly Dar Group, officially launches at COP28

<a href="https://www.enr.com/">Engineering News Record</a> – a leading news source on the top international firms in the engineering and construction industry – has released its annual rankings of the Top 225 international design firms, with <a href="https://dargroup.com">Sidara</a> (formerly Dar Group) maintaining its Top 10 position in multiple categories.
The rankings are based on annual revenue made by design firms for their services in 2022, and are further divided into categories based on specific markets and regions.
In the 2023 ENR rankings, Sidara ranked 10th overall international consultancy firm among the Top 225 for the third year in a row, and 5th among pure consultants. Sidara has now placed in the Top 10 international design firms for 15 years.
In the Top 150 Global Billings, Sidara placed 23rd overall and 10th among pure consultancy firms.
Within the Top 10 rankings by region, Sidara ranked 3rd overall in both the Middle East and Africa and 6th in the USA. Among pure consultants only, the Group placed 1st in the Middle East, 2nd in Africa, and 4th in the USA.
As for market rankings, Sidara placed 7th overall in Transportation and 4th among pure consultants. And for the Building category, Sidara placed 2nd both in the overall rankings and among pure consultants.
Sidara’s global ranking spotlights the significant collaboration and continued progress made by Dar and sister companies TY Lin, <a href="https://perkinswill.com/">Perkins&amp;Will</a>, <a href="https://www.curriebrown.com/">Currie &amp; Brown</a>, <a href="https://www.penspen.com/">Penspen</a>, <a href="https://www.introba.com/">Introba</a>, <a href="https://www.landrumbrown.com/en/">Landrum &amp; Brown</a>, <a href="https://gpogroup.com/en/">GPO Group</a> and <a href="https://www.maffeis.it/">Maffeis Engineering Spa</a>.
Highlighting the continued focus on resilience and sustainability, ENR spotlighted Sidara’s latest developments in the digital realm, citing their acquisition of <a href="https://www.coppertreeanalytics.com/kaizen/">CopperTree Analytics</a> and the recent development of Sidara’s flagship digital twin and portfolio management platform, Para.
“We have truly market-leading capabilities in the digital space,” said Faysal Shair, Head of Digital Solutions at Dar. “We are particularly excited about leveraging the AI-powered intelligence as well as the analytic and visualization capabilities of Para and CopperTree Analytics to drive more sustainable performance in the built environment.”
To learn more about Sidara visit: <a href="https://sidaracollaborative.com/index.html">www.sidaracollaborative.com</a>

Sidara celebrates 15 years in the Top 10 of Engineering News

On March 14th, <a href="https://www.ul.com/">UL Solutions</a>, a global leader in applied safety science, announced that <a href="https://sidaracollaborative.com/">Sidara&#8217;s</a> (formerly Dar Group) Para digital twin technology achieved the first-ever UL Smart Systems Rating. The rating provides assurance that Para helps smart building owners verify smart systems that optimize and facilitate operation and maintenance.
As a digital twin and analytics platform that optimizes and facilitates operation and maintenance, Para helps make assets more energy-efficient, cost-effective and sustainable. Our software combines cognitive analytics powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence. Backed by the building technology expertise of <a href="https://dar.com/">Dar</a> and <a href="https://sidaracollaborative.com/index.html">Sidara</a> engineers and experts, Para’s comprehensive analytics platform provides targeted recommendations that enhance building performance and operations.
“One of the challenges currently faced by the digital twin market is a standardized definition and operating model for digital twin technology, and UL Solutions stepped up to solve this problem with the UL Smart Systems Rating Program,” said Faysal Shair, CEO of Para. “We are proud to have been recognized globally as the first digital twin platform to complete UL Solutions’ assessment and earn a UL Smart Systems Rating.”
“Digital twin technology can offer immediate and long-term value for the smart building industry by providing deep insights and the capability to optimize autonomously while controlling varying aspects of buildings,” said Tim Kupa, vice president of business development at Para. “With Para digital twin technology by Sidara, being the first software platform to achieve a UL Smart Systems Rating confirms for our customers the advantages of utilizing Para in their building portfolios.”
First-ever UL Smart Systems Rating
The <a href="https://www.ul.com/services/smart-systems-rating-program">UL Smart Systems Rating</a> is offered by UL Solutions. A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support product innovation and business growth. The UL Certification Marks serve as a recognized symbol of trust in products and reflect an unwavering commitment to advancing a stringent safety mission.
<a href="https://www.ul.com/services/smart-systems-rating-program">UL’s Smart Systems Rating Program</a> was set in place to tackle a key industry challenge. Advancing smart technology continues to create a competitive and challenging market for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who struggle to differentiate their products from those of their competitors. OEMs are setting an accelerated innovation pace that owners, general contractors, consultants, integrating contractors and building operators are trying to keep up with and trust within their operations. However, the lens they look through to meet the operational goals of the building is inconsistent throughout the contracting process.
The UL Smart Systems Rating Program helps to address this challenge by putting in place a criteria-based rating program for smart building systems. The program is built on a comprehensive assessment of what makes systems smart — connectivity and interoperability, resiliency, cybersecurity, digital experience, functional value, and control and automation. Upon successful assessment, UL Solutions issues a verification Mark that can be publicly accessed and used for marketing claims.
“The UL Smart Systems Rating Program helps solidify the definition of a smart product and provides much-needed clarity for the smart building industry,” said Sudhi Sinha, vice president of Ecosystems and Service Development at UL Solutions. “Para is not only the first to earn a UL Smart Systems Rating but also an example of the program’s value for smart product manufacturers and their customers.”
Para has already been implemented in Dar’s LEED-Gold headquarters in Cairo’s Smart Village and at the Atlanta office of Dar’s sister company, <a href="https://perkinswill.com/">Perkin&amp;Will</a>.

Para digital twin technology earns first-ever UL Smart Systems Rating

In a transformational deal that went through on Friday March 10th, Sidara (formerly Dar Group) acquired a majority stake in <a href="https://www.coppertreeanalytics.com/">CopperTree Analytics</a>, a world-class provider of building analytics solutions.
CopperTree Analytics is a building analytics service provider with an industry-leading <a href="https://www.coppertreeanalytics.com/kaizen/">Kaizen</a> platform that utilizes patented data-contextualizing technology to solve prevalent issues in building energy management and data integrity. The platform, a full-stack proprietary software solution, was purpose-built and consists of an energy information system (EIS) and a fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) platform with integrated system performance auditing. Using a SaaS model paired with managed services, CopperTree provides powerful insights designed to save customers money and energy. For over a decade, CopperTree has provided SaaS and managed analytics services to commercial and industrial buildings.
Acquiring CopperTree will enable Sidara to grow its market share and provide a more integrated digital service offering across its core markets, including transportation, buildings, energy, water and industrials. Sidara companies will be able to access a greater level of technological excellence on behalf of their clients, through CopperTree’s patented technology and leadership team of experienced subject matter experts.
In joining Sidara, CopperTree will gain new access to a wider range of global markets which, in turn, will enable continuous growth for its state-of-the-art ‘Kaizen’ tools. These advanced platforms monitor the performance of built assets, improving decision making through the availability of live data and actionable insights.
CopperTree’s offerings will directly complement Par, paving the way for cost savings and for more productive, efficient, sustainable, and resilient performance.

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