Challenge Terms and Conditions

INTRODUCTION

The upcoming edition of the Mohammed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) called the MBZIRC 2026 – Energy Industry Edition (The Challenge) is organised by ASPIRE UAE – Sole Proprietorship LLC (ASPIRE, We or Us), the innovation acceleration pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), the overarching advanced technology research body in Abu Dhabi [TBC: reference to ADNOC as Title Partner, once the agreement is signed]. The Challenge is governed by:

1. the terms and conditions described in this document (Terms and Conditions),
2. the media guidelines,
3. any competitor agreement the team may be required to sign (the Competitor Agreement),
4. any further rules and regulations that are released in respect of the Challenge from time to time; and
5. any relevant documents shared with the team during the course of the Challenge (collectively the Challenge T&Cs).

Teams registering to take part in the Challenge shall be subject to, and must comply with, the Challenge T&Cs. When we refer to Team, we are referring to the team and each present and future team member, including any individual or corporate entity acting either as an employee, consultant, volunteer or contractor who makes any contribution to the Challenge, as determined by ASPIRE in its sole and absolute discretion.

ASPIRE may change the Challenge T&Cs at any time during the Challenge for any reason. These reasons include the following:

• to provide additional information about the Challenge,
• to make any necessary changes to, or to generally improve the Challenge, and
• to address unforeseen events or issues.

We will notify all Teams of any changes to the Challenge T&Cs (either by announcement, or through our website or any other notification method chosen by ASPIRE). Further information and documentation will be made available to the Teams throughout the different phases of the Challenge, including dates and locations of events, specific technical information for phases and judging criteria. For latest updates, please refer to section xxxx on our website.

The Teams will be responsible at all times for reviewing changes to the Challenge T&Cs, ensuring that they are up to date with any information that might be posted on the website and/or provided to the Teams by email or otherwise.

OVERVIEW OF THE CHALLENGE

Robots and other autonomous systems are increasingly being adopted in diverse fields – from health care and security to transport and manufacturing – as they become cheaper and smarter.

However, a significant gap exists between the current reality of robotic capabilities and real-world requirements. Through the MBZIRC 2026 – Energy Industry Edition, ASPIRE is looking to bridge this gap by pushing technological boundaries and enabling autonomous ground robotic systems to operate in complex industrial environments.

From Q4 2026, the Challenge will bring together leading universities, research institutions, companies and innovators from all over the world to develop and deploy autonomous ground robotic systems for real-world inspection, operation and maintenance in oil and gas environments.

The goal of the Challenge is to develop innovative autonomous ground robotic systems capable of performing inspection and maintenance tasks in oil and gas facilities - improving operational efficiency, reducing risk to human personnel, and advancing the frontier of industrial robotics.

The Challenge involves autonomous ground robotic systems that detect, inspect and interact with industrial infrastructure in a controlled oil and gas facility environment. Aerial platforms are not permitted. The Challenge will be hosted at a dedicated test facility in Abu Dhabi.

The sections below describe the Challenge in detail. Full technical specifications will be set out in the Challenge Rulebook, which will be published on the Challenge website soon.

Equipment

Equipment requirements and specifications will be detailed in the Challenge Rulebook. The following provides a high-level overview of system requirements:

• Autonomous ground robotic systems appropriate for industrial inspection and maintenance tasks (aerial platforms are not permitted); and
• Any supporting sensing, manipulation, or communication hardware required for task execution as specified in the Rulebook.

Teams are responsible for sourcing and operating all equipment. Further details regarding permitted equipment will be communicated during the Challenge.

Communication

• All robotic systems must operate within communication constraints specified in the Challenge Rulebook.
• No unauthorised external communications are permitted during live evaluation runs, except those provided by ASPIRE for safety and monitoring purposes.
• Where a Team uses more than one robotic platform, communication between them is permitted within bounds defined in the Rulebook.

Tasks

The Teams will undertake tasks related to the autonomous inspection and maintenance of oil and gas infrastructure. Full task descriptions will be set out in the Challenge Rulebook, which is yet to be published. The following provides a high-level overview:

1. Inspection

Robotic systems will be required to autonomously navigate the test facility and inspect industrial infrastructure - including pipes, valves, structures, and equipment - to detect anomalies and report findings. Key outcomes include:

• Generation of inspection data (e.g. 3D models, sensor readings) to be matched against reference specifications.
• Reporting of each finding in the format defined in the Rulebook.

2. Maintenance & Interaction
   • Robotic systems will be required to perform interaction tasks on industrial infrastructure, which may include manipulation, transport, or physical engagement with infrastructure, as specified in the Rulebook.
   • Specific task parameters (object weights, dimensions, interaction types) will be defined in the Rulebook.

Tasks will be divided into core tasks and advanced tasks. Points may be weighted according to the difficulty of the area of the test facility in which a task is located. Each run will be limited to a fixed time. The task list, scoring rules and run format will be set out in the Challenge Rulebook, which will be published on the Challenge website.

Challenge Phases

The Challenge will have three phases. They are as below:

• Phase 1: Application (Q4 2026 – Q2 2027)

Each participating Team is required to submit an application describing the Team, its background and relevant expertise in autonomous robotics, the technical approach to be used in solving the Challenge, and the Team’s capability to develop and deploy robotic systems in industrial environments. Full application requirements will be published on the Challenge website shortly after launch. Applications will be evaluated and a shortlist of Teams will be selected to proceed to Phase 2.

• Phase 2: Semi-Finals (Q3 2027)

Shortlisted Teams will demonstrate their system capabilities at the test facility in Abu Dhabi. Based on their results, a shortlist of Finalist Teams will be selected to proceed to Phase 3.

• Phase 3: Finals (Q1 2028)

In the final phase, Finalist Teams will demonstrate their system capabilities at the test facility in Abu Dhabi. Evaluation will be based on the accuracy, efficiency, and reliability of the robotic systems in completing real-world inspection and maintenance tasks. Specific subtask definitions and time limits will be published in the Challenge Rulebook.

CHALLENGE TIMELINE

The following timeline is indicative and may be changed during the course of the Challenge. Any such changes will be announced on the website.

Announcement of winners and award of prizes

PRIZES

Prizes will be awarded to the winning Teams in Phase 3. Details of the prizes will be announced on the Challenge website.

TEAM REGISTRATION AND NEXT STEPS

• To participate in the Challenge, Teams must register through the official Challenge website, www.mbzirc.com. Registration will open on November 16th, 2026.
• Teams must register and submit their application before the published deadline. [exact deadline in Q2 2027 to be confirmed soon]

By registering for and/or submitting an application for the Challenge, the Team and each present and future team member represents and warrants that it has read and understood the Challenge T&Cs and are agreeing to be bound by the Challenge T&Cs. A copy of the Challenge T&Cs will be available on https://www.mbzirc.com.

ELIGIBILITY

Any Team that has the skills, resources and knowledge to participate and succeed in completing the Challenge is eligible, except:

• employees of ASPIRE, its parent company or other subsidiaries of such parent company (the Affiliates);
• employees of agents or suppliers of ASPIRE or any of its Affiliates, who are professionally connected with the Challenge or its administration;
• members of the immediate families or households of (a) or (b);
• any person or entity involved, or suspected of being involved, in illegal activities; or
• any person or entity registered or ordinarily resident in a country that is on a sanctions list at any time during this Challenge (including, but not limited to, the Sanctions Lists maintained by the United States, the United Nations and the European Union); or
• any other entity or person that ASPIRE may deem ineligible for whatsoever reason. 

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Performance at the MBZIRC 2026 – Energy Industry Edition will be assessed on several criteria. Full evaluation rubrics will be published in the Challenge Rulebook. Key assessment areas are expected to include:

1. Autonomous navigation: Robotic systems must move safely and autonomously through an oil and gas facility, including areas that are harder to access.
2. Inspection accuracy: Robotic systems must correctly detect, identify and report the condition of industrial infrastructure.
3. Manipulation and interaction: Robotic systems must physically interact with infrastructure as specified in the Rulebook.
4. Safety and reliability: Robotic systems must pass the safety and system checks set out in the Rulebook and operate reliably throughout a run.
5. Efficiency: Tasks must be completed within the time limit of each run.

JUDGING PANEL & FINAL DECISION

The Challenge entries will be judged by a designated panel. Details of individual members of the judging panel will be released on the website during the Challenge. The judging panel will include a range of qualified subject matter experts from various backgrounds and will be selected by ASPIRE.

The judging panel shall have the sole and absolute discretion to determine the methodology used by it to render decisions, to determine the winners of the Challenge and to award any prize/award. The decision of the panel of judges will be final. The Team agrees not to dispute any decision of the judging panel.

Contact with Judges. Any attempt by a Team or any of its members to contact, influence, or communicate with members of the judging panel may result in the disqualification of that Team from the Challenge. All queries and communications must be directed to the ASPIRE organising team through official channels only. Contact details for the organising team are available on the Challenge website at www.mbzirc.com.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

ASPIRE does not claim any rights of ownership in the technology that is developed or used by the Team in respect of their Challenge entry (“Team Technology”). Each Team will own the intellectual property in its Team Technology. Participation in the Challenge and the award of any prize are not conditional on the Team granting ASPIRE, ADNOC, its Affiliates or any third party any rights in its Team Technology. Any commercial arrangement relating to Team Technology after the Challenge will be voluntary and subject to a separate agreement.

For the avoidance of doubt, if ASPIRE, ADNOC, or any of its Affiliates provides any intellectual property to the Team in connection with their participation in the Challenge (“Background IP”), any Background IP is owned by, and remains the property of, ASPIRE, ADNOC or its Affiliates, respectively.

Teams should not do anything to jeopardise the potential intellectual property in the Team Technology through the use of social media or otherwise.

In addition, the Team will not use ASPIRE’s or ADNOC’s logos, brand names, slogans or other trademarks, or post or otherwise use any of ASPIRE’s or ADNOC’s confidential or proprietary information without its prior written permission.

TEAM RESPONSIBILITY

Each Team is responsible for the health and safety of its members over the course of its participation in the Challenge and must maintain adequate insurances in accordance with applicable laws. Teams must comply with all laws and regulations that apply to their participation in the Challenge. All costs of competing in the Challenge are the responsibility of the competing Team and ASPIRE shall not be liable for any costs incurred by the Teams during their participation in the Challenge.

TEAM CHANGES

Teams are free to add experts or new members at any time throughout the Challenge. Teams may also merge with other Teams during the Challenge. In all cases, any proposed change to a Team or any merger of a Team must be notified to ASPIRE in writing in advance. Additional details regarding Team mergers are provided in the Competitor Agreement.

SOCIAL MEDIA USE

The following section aims to provide teams with common sense guidelines and recommendations for using social media responsibly and safely.

Teams must not post disparaging or defamatory statements about ASPIRE, ADNOC, any Affiliate, partner, sponsor or anyone working with ASPIRE or ADNOC on this Challenge, the Challenge itself, or post anything they would find offensive, including discriminatory comments, insults or obscenity.

Teams should avoid social media communications that might be misconstrued in a way that could damage the Challenge, or the reputation of ASPIRE, ADNOC, or its Affiliate directly or indirectly.

Teams should make it clear in social media posts that they are speaking in their own capacities and not on behalf of ASPIRE or ADNOC.

If a Team discloses its affiliation with the Challenge, it must also state that its views do not represent those of ASPIRE or ADNOC.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Insofar as is permitted by law, ASPIRE, its agents or distributors will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate the winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking part in the Challenge, except where it is caused by the negligence of ASPIRE, its agents or distributors or that of their employees.

DATA PROTECTION

ASPIRE will only process a Team’s personal information as set out in Privacy Policy.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All information identified as proprietary and submitted by a Team to ASPIRE relating to the Challenge will remain strictly confidential, unless otherwise agreed by the Team and ASPIRE and/or as set out in the Challenge T&Cs.

The Teams and ASPIRE agree to hold information received from each other in connection with the Challenge in strict confidence and that each will not disclose, copy, reproduce or distribute any of it without the consent of the provider of the information.

TERMINATION

If there is any reason to believe that a Team has breached the Challenge T&Cs, ASPIRE may, at its sole discretion, disqualify the Team from participating in the Challenge.

If ASPIRE believes that a Team should no longer participate in the Challenge, it may, at its sole discretion, disqualify the team from participating or continuing to participate in the Challenge. For example, ASPIRE may exclude a Team if the Team engages in conduct that is determined by ASPIRE, in its sole discretion, to be offensive or inappropriate, or reflects poorly on ASPIRE or any of its Affiliates, to be disruptive or harmful for the Challenge. ASPIRE may also exclude any Team that does not actively or productively participate in the Challenge.

ASPIRE also reserves the right to terminate, hold void, suspend, cancel or amend the Challenge where it becomes necessary (in ASPIRE’s opinion) to do so.

Once a Team has withdrawn or is otherwise disqualified from the Challenge, the Team shall not engage in any conduct that is determined by ASPIRE to reflect poorly on or be disparaging to ASPIRE or and/or any Affiliate or that may disrupt or harm, in any manner, the Challenge. The Challenge T&Cs shall survive the withdrawal or disqualification of a Team from the Challenge.

GENERAL

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the federal laws of the United Arab Emirates, as applied in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Each Party irrevocably agrees that the courts of Abu Dhabi shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear, settle and/or determine any dispute, controversy or claim (including any non-contractual dispute, controversy or claim) arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, including any question regarding its existence, validity, formation or termination.

The Team may only use media content that has been approved for use by ASPIRE. Further details are contained in the media guidelines.

If a Team wishes to receive any third-party funding towards its participation in the Challenge, the Team should seek consent from ASPIRE prior to obtaining any such funding.