Abu Dhabi - MENA Herald: The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced a jury panel that includes its faculty and staff, is in the process of selecting up to four teams from a total of 25 submissions to be presented in the Innovations Track at the EcoCity World Summit (ECWS) 2015 in Abu Dhabi.
For researchers and innovators, the EcoCity World Summit 2015 Innovations Track presents an opportunity to demonstrate their creative solutions in promoting more liveable and sustainable cities for the future. The selected innovations and solutions may later be adopted and incubated by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industries and governmental and inter-governmental agencies.
In addition, all submitted entries will also be offered an opportunity to share their concepts and interact with the investors and venture capitalists.
Masdar Institute’s key role in the track is contribution towards supporting innovation in all walks of life, especially in smart sustainable systems, smart building, smart cities and smart critical infrastructure. Faculty members will further contribute to the Summit by leading workshops and participating as panelists during special sessions on innovation.
The Summit is scheduled to be held from 11–13 October at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC). 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. Held every two years, the Summit is a key event for the regional and international community that brings together a wide range of participants to discuss key urban challenges facing the world today.
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.”
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.
Other faculty members and staff who will be participating in ECWS 2015 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.
Authors of the accepted submissions will be notified shortly on the guidelines for preparing oral and poster presentations to be scheduled before the judges at the Summit.
The overarching theme for abstracts under the EcoCity World Summit 2015 Innovations Track was ‘Ecocities in Challenging Environments,’ under which there are four sub-themes – ‘Fast tracking progress through knowledge,’ ‘Creative leadership, Informed decision-making using modern tools,’ and ‘Connecting people for strong results.’
