Sunday 01 October 2023 - 7:09:58 am
Wed 19-01-2022 19:09 PM
DUBAI, 19th January, 2022 (WAM) -- On the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2022 (ADSW 2022), the global platform for accelerating sustainable development, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) today announced a partnership with Schneider Electric to enhance sustainability across the UAE’s manufacturing sector.
In the leadup to the UAE hosting COP28 in 2023, the partnership is part of a wide-ranging initiative to make the country’s industrial sector the most sustainable in the region.
The collaboration will include on-site sustainability assessments of 50 manufacturers carried out by Schneider Electric consultants, a series of webinars on digital transformation and energy efficiency, and an internship programme to upskill 50 Emiratis.
The partnership builds on the nation’s net-zero commitments to become a world leader in areas related to sustainability. It is also part of MoIAT’s UAE Industry 4.0 Programme that aims to increase industrial productivity by 30 percent and add AED25 billion to the national economy by 2031. Schneider Electric is a founding member of the Champions 4.0 Network, a pillar of the UAE Industry 4.0 programme that brings together leading local and international companies to share best-practice in the deployment of 4IR technologies across the UAE’s industrial sector.
Mohamed Al Qasim, Director of Technology Development and Adoption, Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said, "The manufacturing industry across the world emits substantial amounts of greenhouse gases, and changes within this sector will contribute significantly to global net-zero commitments. Hence our keenness to raise awareness about environment-friendly and energy-efficient strategies among local manufacturers, inviting them to join us in our collective effort towards a carbon-neutral nation by 2050.
"The sustainability drive requires a specialised set of technology solutions, which will in their own way contribute to the digitalisation and advanced technology adoption of the manufacturing industry, in line with the strategic objectives of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. We are delighted to join hands with Schneider Electric, a champion of the UAE Industry 4.0 programme, on yet another initiative."
Ahmed Khashan, Gulf Cluster President at Schneider Electric, said, "Sustainability is not just a nice-to-have, it’s a fundamental driver of growth and a competitive advantage for the country’s industrial sector. And we can drive sustainability through technological innovation. As the world’s most sustainable company, we are delighted to be able to undertake this project with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology to support the country’s manufacturing sector in its own journey to become greener, more energy-efficient, and ultimately net-zero."
Announced in October 2021, the UAE Industry 4.0 Programme aims to increase productivity and the development of innovative products within the country as part of a broader strategy to add value to the national economy, expand and grow specific industrial sectors, and raise productivity. The programme was designed by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology to use advanced technologies such as the Internet-of-Things, machine learning, artificial intelligence to drive change and transform the UAE’s manufacturing sector into a world leader in areas such as sustainability.
