Dubai Industrial City, one of the largest industrial hubs in Dubai and the region, and a member of TECOM Group, hosted the third edition of DI Talks, a series of expert-led discussions within the context of advanced and sustainable manufacturing and other industrial sectors.

Hosted at The Recycling Hub by Enviroserve in Dubai Industrial City, under the theme ‘Sustainability’, the series highlighted ways to achieve green manufacturing through adopting more sustainable practices and technologies.

The gathering convened experts, decision makers, professionals and educators in the UAE. Speakers included Stuart Fleming, CEO and Founding Partner of Enviroserve, James Stewart, General Manager of ALEC Energy, Thomas Bosse, Head of Programmes at Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (Dubai Carbon), Rory McCarthy, Chief Commercial Officer at Yellow Door Energy, Ridah Sabouni, Managing Director of Energetics, Amit Kotecha, Head of Commercial at Dubai Carbon, and Professor Bassam Abdel-Karim Abu-Hijleh, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and IT at The British University in Dubai.

Speaking on the occasion, Saud Abu Alshawareb, Managing Director of Dubai Industrial City, said: “As a key driver in achieving the objectives of Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030, we are pleased to host the DI Talks platform to boost knowledge in the industrial sector and bring together experts and professionals from across industries, allowing for collaboration and innovation. We are extremely pleased with the growing participation and engagement of all stakeholders, from the public, private and academic sectors, for each edition of this initiative.”

Following the welcome address by Alshawareb, Stuart Fleming in his keynote speech, said: “With significant environmental challenges ahead, we are in crucial need of a roadmap that includes radical, efficient and effective solutions. Global sustainability is one of the many new concepts that have emerged, which require great leaps to realise.”

He added: “At Dubai Industrial City, our factory is working to change the industry stereotypes, especially with regard to environmentally-friendly practices. We also see the opportunity to elevate this sector in collaboration with the younger generation. We aim to build upon the younger generation’s awareness of environmental issues and support the wide range of initiatives and actions they are launching.”

James Stewart said: “The problem we face when looking at implementing environmentally-friendly practices is the prevailing idea about their high costs. The reality is that there are many ways to achieve long-term results at an affordable cost. Manufacturers can work with environmentally friendly solution providers to develop a plan that suits both their budget and the size of their business.”

For his part, Thomas Bosse said: “Through our work, we are putting in place an equation to ensure benefits at three levels: social, economic, and environmental. Government agendas and strategies play a key role in supporting a better future in terms of reducing carbon emissions in various processes. Therefore, it is crucial to raise community awareness about the importance of preserving the environment and our resources as it’s a responsibility of all community members.”

During the panel discussion titled, ‘Adopting more advanced and sustainable manufacturing and production technologies and practices in the UAE’, speakers Rory McCarthy, Ridah Sabouni, Amit Kotecha and Abdel-Karim Abu-Hijleh discussed a number of sustainable approaches and methods that organisations must implement in their strategic plan and agreed on specific recommendations.

Takeaways from the session included highlighting the importance of raising community awareness and spreading the word on the need to control the consumption of water, energy and other natural resources. The session also encouraged greater collaboration and emphasized the need for significant investments to strengthen the education system and implement vocational training for workers in various sectors.

The participants also reaffirmed the tremendous prospects for achieving sustainability through active public-private partnerships with a supportive legislative system and investments in modern technology to provide a much-needed push towards environmentally friendly industrial processes. They noted that doing so would further encourage communities to act towards a future that holds positive implications for the environment, return on investments for businesses, and better health for individuals.

Dubai Industrial City launched DI Talks in early 2019 as a platform for its business partners and industry leaders to share their knowledge and expertise and discuss the latest trends. The first edition in January focused on food manufacturing and its role in food security, while the second in June spotlighted future trends in logistics and manufacturing. The initiative supports the role of Dubai Industrial City as a partner and main contributor to the Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030.