A jury panel that included Masdar Institute faculty and officials have selected four of the most innovative concepts from a total of 25 submissions for presentation at the Innovations Track at the EcoCity World Summit (ECWS) 2015 in Abu Dhabi that opened in Abu Dhabi. Faculty members are also leading workshops and participating as panelists during special sessions on innovation at the event.
The overarching theme for abstracts under the ECWS 2015 Innovations Track was ‘Ecocities in Challenging Environments,’ under which there were four sub-themes – ‘Fast tracking progress through knowledge,’ ‘Creative leadership, Informed decision-making using modern tools,’ and ‘Connecting people for strong results.’
For researchers, the Innovations Track at ECWS 2015 presented an opportunity to demonstrate their creative solutions in promoting more liveable and sustainable cities for the future. The selected innovations and solutions could later be adopted and incubated by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industries and governmental and inter-governmental agencies.
In addition, all submitted entries are also being offered an opportunity to share their concepts and interact with the investors and venture capitalists.
The biennial Summit is being held from 11–13 October at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).
Dr. Mohammad Atif Omar, Department Head, Engineering Systems and Management, and Head of Institute Center for Smart and Sustainable Systems (iSmart) at Masdar Institute, and Dr. Mohamed A. Salheen, Program Director, Integrated Urbanism & Sustainable Design, Ain Shams University, members of the Innovation Committee, were joined by a panel of jury that selected the four Innovation Track abstracts.
Faculty members who are leading workshops and panel discussions include Dr. Bruce Ferguson, Head of Institute Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (iInnovation) and Professor of Practice, Dr. Jim Petell, Director, Technology Transfer Office (TTO), Dr. Toufic Mezher, Professor, Dr. Elie Azar and Dr. Karim Karam, Assistant Professors, Sustainable Critical Infrastructure, Department of Engineering Systems and Management, and Dr. Petra Turkama, Visiting Assistant Professor.
With its key role in selecting the top four submissions for Innovations Track, Masdar Institute continues to contribute towards supporting innovation in all walks of life, especially in smart sustainable systems, smart building, smart cities and smart critical infrastructure.
Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, Interim Provost, Masdar Institute, said, “Our participation in the EcoCity World Summit 2015 signifies our commitment to driving innovation, especially in contributing to smart building and smart infrastructure. We believe sharing of knowledge and expertise during this event will further benefit the adoption of smart sustainable systems globally and across the region, and we hope to continue our contribution to this key area.”
Hosted by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), and supported by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Urban Planning Council (UPC) and Masdar, the event is facilitated by Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI) with the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.
Clarence Michael
News Writer
11 October 2015
