Abu Dhabi: March 3, 2011 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology has been selected as the lead research institution to represent the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the European Union-GCC Clean Energy Network.
The network is being set up to advance the shared common interest between the EU and the GCC for strategic energy cooperation. Masdar Institute’s selection for this prestigious role, which cements the UAE’s position as an emerging research and development hub, was made following presentations by Gulf research institutions to the Energy Team on the GCC in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday February 27th.
The EU-GCC Clean Energy Network is being set up to be a catalyst of coordination for the development of cooperation on clean energy and to be an instrument to develop concrete cooperation activities in the area of clean energy technologies, including the related policy and technology aspects, among various players across the EU and GCC countries.
As the lead research representative for the network, Masdar Institute will work together with the institution representing the EU countries – the Institute of Communications and Computer Systems at the National Technical University of Athens – in order to set up a mechanism for the creation of a Clean Energy Technology Network over the course of the next three years. The lead research institutions share the following responsibilities for the EU-GCC Clean Energy Network: Network creation; Network operation; Network promotion and dissemination of information and proposals; and Network sustainable strategy.
Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute, said: “Masdar Institute is honored to be selected as the Gulf’s lead representative for the EU-GCC Clean Energy Network. To make this network a success it will require the development of strong collaborative partnerships. This is something that has always been a part of our ethos at Masdar Institute. We recognize that clean energy solutions will only be developed by working with other academic institutions, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as partnering with corporations working in this space, such as Boeing, Etihad and Siemens. This is part of Masdar Institute’s unique offering, and it was a determining factor in this selection process.”
Masdar Institute’s proposal to be the GCC’s lead research body in the collaborative network received the full support of the UAE Ministry of Energy in its capacity as a member of the Energy Team on the GCC that reviewed the candidate institutions.
Hamza Kazim, Vice President of Operations and Finance, Masdar Institute, said: “Masdar Institute is delighted to be named the regional representative for the Clean Energy Network. This has been made possible with the strong support, and through our ongoing collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Energy. The selection committee was greatly impressed by initiatives such as Masdar, the World Future Energy Summit, and the Zayed Future Energy Prize, which highlighted the UAE’s ongoing commitment to clean energy. We are looking forward to start work with the GCC Secretariat General and to making this initiative a great success over the next three years.”
Masdar Institute is the world’s first graduate research institution dedicated to alternative energy and sustainable technologies. It is located in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City.
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