At a virtual awards ceremony held last week, the Netherlands Business Council UAE announced the winners of the NBC 2020 Awards held in honour of Expo2020 Dubai.

Created in partnership with The Consulate General of the Kingdom of The Netherlands in Dubai and NLinBusiness, the NBC 2020 Awards provide a unique platform to attract top-level innovations in the fields of water, energy and food to the UAE, making it possible for Dutch companies to enter the market.

“Together with the NBC and the sponsors of the awards we are proud to showcase the innovative nature of Dutch companies. The award winners will be part of our pavilion next year during Expo 2020 and we hope that many will visit our pavilion in order to meet with them as well as the many other innovative Dutch companies”. said Hans Sandee, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dubai

In three categories, nine finalists were selected to pitch their business to an expert panel of judges comprising specialists from the fields of water, energy and food. The judges selected the winners based on several criteria, including the economic potential of the innovation, the environmental and social impact, the scalability in the region and whether the innovation has the potential to make the world a better place. The winners of the NBC 2020 awards are:

• The Boskalis Water Award was presented to Groasis for their solution to replant eroded and degraded land successfully without using irrigation

The LeasePlan Emirates Energy Award was received by Zigzagsolar for their solution that makes the world a better place by offering -affordable- good looking high-performance solar facades that help in the fight against climate change, air pollution, depletion of scarce materials and power cuts, and grid instability

The NLinBusinessFood Award went to Protifarmfor their innovation that offers a highly scalable solution to feed the world and deliver upon the increasing demand for more sustainable nutrition. Recognizable products made with ingredients from edible insects for everyday recipes.

The winners will have the priceless opportunity to showcase their innovation to the world at the Dutch Pavilion at Expo2020 Dubai and receive a full start-up package including office space and a visa and trade license at Dubai Airport Free Zone.

DMEC was named the overall winner of the NBC 2020 Awards and received the Shell Nexus Award.

Commenting on the awards Stefanie Schachtschabel, Chairman of The Netherlands Business Council Council UAE, said: “On behalf of all our members, we extend our congratulations to the winners of the NBC 2020 Awards. We were blown away by the number of entries and the depth of the innovations that were submitted for the awards, and we look forward to the success of our winners in bringing their sustainable solutions to the region.”

As a sponsor of the NBC 2020 Awards, PanchoBuitenhuis – Director/Regional Manager Middle East at Boskalis said: “We are proud to sponsor the NBC Water Award, to help support Dutch companies and stimulate sustainable innovation in the region. We look forward to see the winning innovation featured during the Expo 2020.”

The awards ceremony was part of the ‘Nexus Water, Energy & Food’ event, which featured a panel discussion with industry experts on the business opportunities Expo2020 Dubai will bring as a catalyst for Dutch companies with an interest in the UAE and those operating in the water, energy and food sector. The session was moderated by Willum van den Hoogen, Director Expo2020 related affairs at the Netherlands Business Council UAE, with panelists Dr. Abdulla Al Hammadi – Chief Executive Officer Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park at DEWA, Gerard Gallagher – Partner and EMEIA Industry Leader Energy at Ernst & Young, Shaun Vorster – Professor Extraordinaire at the University of Stellenbosch and Naveed Ahmad – Senior Marketing Officer Global Outreach & Demand Generation at DAFZA.

On this special occasion, the Netherlands Business Council UAE was also officially accredited by NLinBusiness, becoming part of their international network of 40 Business hubs around the world.

“The UAE and particularly Dubai is an important market for the Netherlands and offers many business opportunities for Dutch Entrepreneurs. With our strong partner, the Netherlands Business Council UAE, the Dutch entrepreneurs have direct access to a professional network of other Dutch companies already active in the region to further help them with their business and expansion” concluded Mr. Edo Offerhaus, Managing Director at NLinBusiness.