Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has organised the sixth Creativity and Innovation Conference as part of the 2nd DEWA Innovation Week.

This takes place in conjunction with the 2nd UAE Innovation Week, which is organised annually in adherence with the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to celebrate innovators in the UAE.

The conference supports DEWA’s commitment to encouraging creativity, its efforts to be a hub for government innovation, and its vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility.

It was attended by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, Executive Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, and a number of DEWA’s employees. The conference discuss a number of key issues related to motivating innovation in different areas, with a focus on renewable energy and water. A number of experts and specialists participated in the conference.

"DEWA’s efforts in innovation support the efforts of the UAE’s wise leadership to shape the future and prepare for change. The UAE Government has launched an integrated strategy that makes shaping the future an axis for government work in its efforts to identify priorities and develop its policies. Innovation has become an established government and social culture in the UAE, Al Tayer said.

He added the National Innovation Strategy, which was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, has become an effective tool in disseminating a culture of innovation among all members of society. "The strategy aims to make the UAE one of the most innovative countries in the world by 2021, to stimulate innovation within government, especially in seven national key sectors, including renewable energy, transport, education, health, technology, water and space."

Al Tayer said the Dubai Innovation Strategy, which was approved by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, focuses on 10 sectors that are aligned to the National Innovation Strategy, and aims to improve living standards in Dubai.

"At DEWA, we recognise that innovation is a priority for improving our services and initiatives, and a key element for developing our strategies and work plans. We adopt innovation as a basis for continuous improvement and development. We provide all that is necessary to enhance knowledge and creativity, and provide an environment that motivates creativity and innovation across all DEWA. We have incorporated innovation in DEWA’s vision, and created Strategic Innovation to raise its importance as a theme to encompass 40% of the DEWA2021 strategy. We have developed a comprehensive strategy to drive organisational innovation and empower DEWA to achieve its vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility," said Al Tayer.

"We are committed to studying all suggestions and ideas and working on implementing the innovative and constructive ones. Our staff’s positive reaction to the portal reflects their understanding of their responsibilities and their commitment to enhancing government work and the work environment," he added.

Al Tayer noted DEWA is also organising the Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME), which is scheduled to take place in 2018, and again in 2020. The decathlon motivates university students and encourages them to innovate and use their creativity to design efficient and self-sufficient buildings. This supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 that relies on innovation, and Research and Development as the basis for the future of energy.

He said that this year’s Innovation Week at DEWA featured various activities and events. "These included the Future Hub, which highlighted four main themes: Green Planet, Immersive Experiences, Smart City, and Connected World. The Innovation Exhibition highlighted future innovations related to electricity and water, and the Future Dome featured many activities including I-Talk sessions and Innovation Talk. A competition was launched for students to design, build, test and race solar-powered remote control cars, Al Tayer said.

The competition encourages the young to learn about clean energy, in a highly-engaging manner. Winners of the DEWA Future Utility Cup were announced. This is the first global competition of its kind. It is part of DEWA’s cooperation with the global start-up incubator 1776, to accelerate the pace of innovation in energy. It tapped into 1776’s extensive network of over 3,000 start-ups that have participated in the 1776 Challenge Cup in 2015 and 2016.

During the Innovation Week, a number of initiatives were launched to provide an innovative environment for DEWA’s staff. These include launching a smart app for Afkari for staff through the Smart Office, which provides DEWA’s employees a seamless experience when completing their tasks, to achieve their happiness. Ebtikari was also launched to encourage inventors and designers from around the world to present their innovations using a smart platform. This includes scientific and engineering competitions for inventors, scientists, university students, and engineers to present solutions and innovations in sustainable energy, and water.

The 6th Creativity and Innovation Conference included a number of innovative activities and events. These included a keynote on the ‘Connected World: How we will live and Communicate in the Future,’ an interactive session on Internet of Things: Energy in 2050, a session on #Switching on the Lights: new sustainable energy business models for a fast-changing world,’ and a session pm #Are you Future Proof?’ DEWA staff and participants expressed their appreciation for DEWA for organising the annual Creativity and Innovation Conference, and commended the topics covered in the conference. They also praised DEWA’s continuous efforts to establish innovation and creativity as a corporate culture.