20 Leading Experts And Leaders Featured At 3rd Innovation Technology Transfer Forum

The 3rd Innovation Technology Transfer Forum, held at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation (SRTI) Park on Wednesday, featured 20 leading experts and leaders who talked about ways to accelerate the speed of technology transfer and sustainability.

The experts and leaders included Emirati engineer and politician Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, as well as Sheikha Nabila Al Sabah, who is currently the head of the Ibtikar Initiative at Al Saad Foundation. Al Nuaimi served as the minister of public works of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2013 to 2020. He was also the minister of environment and climate change of the country from 2020 to 2021.

The forum was hosted against the backdrop of the country ranking 32nd in the Global Innovation Index. Aside from tackling innovation and investment opportunities, the event also featured the Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator (SAIA) 4th Edition Demo Day Finale.

Startups from across the globe showcased their cutting-edge technologies and solutions to potential investors at the SRTI Park at the event.

Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of the SRTI Park, gave the welcome address at the event, saying it is "very critical," as there will be a lot of knowledge sharing, sharing of best practices, exploring new business opportunities and building collaboration partnerships in the next two weeks, hinting at COP28 summit, which will open on Thursday.

"Here at the SRTI Park, we represent the beating heart of innovation, with some ground-breaking innovations by our startups," he said, as per WAM. "The goal of the Innovation Technology Transfer Forum has always been to work with our stakeholders, to cement and to develop collaboration between academia, private sector and government and non-governmental organizations."

"But we still believe we have a long way to go as the innovator on a global scale. Forums like these give us an opportunity for us to see how we can push the envelope and achieve new heights of innovation excellence," he added.

Al Mahmoudi then pointed out that the speakers at the event were experts in both the academic and the private sectors, noting that they are "involved in intellectual property and the commercialization of technology."

Several topics were discussed during the panel discussions, including the role of educational institutions in technology transfer, government policy and technology innovation, development and monetization of innovation technology projects and the importance of intellectual property in ensuring technology transfer success.