Sharjah: A set of technical solutions for sustainable environment was announced during the second session of ‘SRTI Park Labs’. The event was attended by officials from both private and public sectors, as well as specialists, and a number of representatives from leading international companies in environmental science, circular economy and sustainability technologies such as recycling and sustainable agriculture.

The session, which was based on ‘Environmental Technology’, explained how technology can be used with the best international practices to promote environmental sustainability, providing a mechanism for assessing environmental impact by using natural resources. Activities which leave carbon waste can be harmful, it is the responsibility of individuals or groups to reduce waste reduction through different methods such as creating green teams to pursue environmental conservation to improve sustainability.

His Excellency Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park), said Sharjah has come a long way in the field of sustainability thanks to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah and a member of the Supreme Council of the UAE. Sharjah today ranks among the top cities in the region for sustainable development.

Al Mahmoudi said the session was to reflect the trends in the Emirate and to promote companies specializing in Environmental Technology to establish in Sharjah. He reviewed the priorities, vision and objectives of the park, which is to create an environment conducive to creativity and innovation to enhance the status of the Emirate of Sharjah as the global destination in the fields of research and technology and to support its move towards the knowledge economy. He discussed the Science Park’s role in shaping Sharjah’s R&D and innovation ecosystem and driving its transition towards a sustainable, knowledge-based economy.

The Park’s vision is to work with partners in the government and private sectors and leading international companies and provide advance technological solutions for environmental sustainability to improve life, and attracting global researchers specialized in this area to work within SRTI Park for innovation.

The session covered topics such as Disruptive Environmental Technologies Driving the Circular Economy, Global Applications of Environmental Technology and How Triple Helix Partnerships Can Guarantee a Greener Tomorrow.

Khalid Al Huraimel, CEO of Bee’ah, said: “The Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park is not only a testament to Sharjah’s spirit of innovation, but also an example of how we are embracing technology and building a better future in the UAE. It gives us great pleasure to be a part of the SRTI Park Labs sessions, like the one held today, to share our insights. Bee’ah has been a strong advocate for circular economy in the region, based on the twin pillars of sustainability and technology. We have used disruptive environmental technologies, in waste management, renewable energy, and sustainable transport; to achieve milestones like the Middle East’s highest waste diversion rate of 76%, and the UAE’s first waste-to-energy plant. We look forward to working closely with SRTI to further enable the UAE’s vision of creating & maintaining a sustainable environmental ecosystem.”

Participants reviewed model projects that create a cleaner and more economical environment. They also discussed modern technologies that avoid wasting vital resources and how to make best use of, in addition to a number of success stories and global applications in environmental technology.

Dr. Muawiya Radaideh, CEO of SEE NEXUS, a sustainability solutions company and provider of the know-how behind The Sustainable Cities in Dubai and Sharjah, talked about the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental and economic. He spoke about the global applications in environmental technology and how it works through the experience of sustainable cities implemented by the company in the country.

Founder and CEO of Madar Farms, Abdul Aziz Al Mulla, spoke about his experience of creating a new agricultural revolution by working closely with the government and the education sector in the UAE to conserve water resources.

Rose Armor, Head of Sustainability at American University of Sharjah, reviewed the latest technologies and global practices in the circular economy and how they have a positive impact on the environment. Hemant Julka, Co-founder and COO for VeggiTech, an agro tech company disrupting the agriculture industry, reviewed a number of plans that have been implemented and sustainable technology in agricultural projects with modern technology.

At the end of the forum, a panel was held in which a number of researchers and representatives from international companies specializing in environmental technology participated. They launched a set of recommendations and technological solutions for a sustainable environment.

They stressed on providing innovative ideas and technologies, transforming them into pioneering projects that contribute to addressing the main challenges facing the environment, especially in the fields of clean energy and conservation.

It requires the development of new technologies, products and services that drive clean energy production, in support of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vital sectors that consume large amounts of water and electricity, as well as exploring new horizons for reducing environmentally harmful products and sustainable agriculture.

At the end of the sessions, the attendees toured a number of sustainable projects being developed by an international company in SRTI Park through an integrated research center that works to develop sustainable solutions in several environmental fields including housing construction, sustainable houses and agriculture through innovative technological methods in addition to desalination and energy.

The SRTI Park recently launched SRTI Park LABS – a series of events hosted at the Park highlighting and displaying the applications of smart cities. Environmental Technology was the second session in this series.