Sep 24 2020
The World Future Energy Summit returns to the UAE capital’s Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) from 5–7 April 2021, with a broader market focus and expanded business agenda.
This hugely important and eagerly anticipated business event will feature a new, three-day format, bringing together stakeholders from government and private sectors, finance, technology providers, innovators, academics and industry leaders. The new format of the event was developed following extensive consultation with key industry stakeholders and partners. During the week attendees will experience a programme of accelerated business meetings and networking delivered by the dedicated Sustainability Business Connect team.
Grant Tuchten, Group Event Director - World Future Energy Summit, highlighted the range of new business, education and networking features for 2021, saying: "The revised, multi-pronged format of the event will offer attendees the opportunity to conduct business and engage with industry colleagues through a platform of their choice: whether on the exhibition floor or in a virtual meeting space.
“As the region’s most important platform for business and innovation, our primary goal is to connect buyers and sellers, and offer exceptional value for all stakeholders that cannot be achieved through any other format. The event will showcase thousands of innovations, technologies and present best practices for the future, supporting a more sustainable approach to a global economic recovery,” he added.
While the entire world is dealing with unexpected circumstances that have understandably taken centre stage, the climate emergency has not gone away and is one of the most pressing matters for the future of humanity. Yet tackling the environment’s greatest challenges will do far more than improve our physical world, as it could also go a long way in helping global economies to start healing. Therefore, it is imperative to repair the economy and the climate together.
A recent report published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) showed that accelerating investment in renewable energy could power an economic recovery with worldwide GDP gains of almost $100tn over the next 30 years. In response, the Agency’s Director-General, Francesco La Camera, urged governments to invest in renewable energy in order to stimulate economic growth while helping to meet climate targets – something that falls directly in line with the World Future Energy Summit’s remit to take centre stage in the promotion of global green technologies.
“Over the past 13 years,” remarked Tuchten, “the Summit has firmly established itself as the leading global platform for, not only future energy, but sustainability and green technology, too. The event has been carefully curated to maximise networking and business opportunities in the fast-evolving future of the energy and sustainability sectors.”
As a leading driver of regional collaboration, the Summit will feature a newly formed Climate and Environment Expo & Forum, which will showcase the latest advancements, innovative technologies and best practice to help accelerate the business of local and global climate resilience. There will also be an expanded Energy Forum covering key topics such as green hydrogen, energy storage and digitalisation. The other five expos and forums include Energy, Water, Solar, Smart Cities and the co-located EcoWASTE Exhibition & Forum in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Center for Waste Management – Tadweer.
The Summit will also host the fourth Climate Innovations Exchange (CLIX), launched to explore the world’s most innovative technologies to combat climate change challenges, as well as to provide a dynamic and agile platform that connects start-ups and investors. The 2021 event will feature two new themes: Smart Cities and Climate Resilience, in addition to Energy, Food, Agriculture and Space.
“It is here that ideas become technology, and technology becomes practical solutions,” added Tuchten. “The Climate Innovations Exchange continues the search for sustainable solutions and helps prepare for the challenges that await us in the future.”
Remarking on the success of the event, Marco Garcia, Chief Commercial Officer, NEXTracker, said: “World Future Energy Summit has kept pace with the renewable energy industry in the Middle East and it has been wonderful to be a part of. NEXTracker applauds the incredible professionalism and elegance of the show, as the content continues to significantly improve every year. It is simply the place to do business as a large-scale solar company in the region.”
In testimony to the impact the summit has had, Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO at Bee’ah, said: “We have been participating over the past years to showcase our ventures and projects, which are rooted in our twin-pillared strategy of sustainability and digitalisation as the foundation for a future-ready economy. World Future Energy Summit has been an ideal platform for us to interact with other industry leaders and explore partnerships that help achieve our mission to create sustainable smart cities and improve the quality of life for all.”
The World Future Energy Summit has been proudly hosted at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) since 2008 and is hugely important to the local economy, too, bringing significant financial benefit to the Abu Dhabi business environment. Since the inaugural event in 2008, the summit has grown to host 34,000 visitors from 125 countries and, earlier this year, featured 840 exhibiting companies and brands. According to economic impact data from ADNEC, the 2020 summit delivered AED 150 Million to the business economy, supported 738 jobs and generated 24,220 room nights with 96% of international visitors highlighting they were likely to return to Abu Dhabi for leisure.
Organised by Reed Exhibitions, the World Future energy Summit takes place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), from 5 – 7 April 2021. Visitors can register online to access the exceptional content and networking opportunities available at the event.