EEG’s 10th Community Lecture for 2011

EEG organized its 10^th and last Community Lecture for the year on the theme – “Technology Outlook 2020” at the Emarat Atrium in Dubai. As is the case every month, the event was free and open to all.

The event began with a warm opening address by EEG Chairperson, Mrs. Habiba Al Marashi who encouraged people to join the nation-wide CleanUp UAE Campaign that will be held in over 100 sites simultaneously in the UAE. She explained that the EEG was following the path towards sustainability set for the nation by the founder of the nation, late H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Mrs. Al Marashi then introduced the speaker for the day, Dr. Thomas Mestl, who has been working for the DNV Research and Innovation for almost 15 years, mainly in the area of information and computer science. He has been involved in the preparation of various Technology Outlooks since 1999, and was the project leader for Technology Outlook 2020 as well as the previous one.  The DNV R&I focuses on new knowledge and services within six strategic research themes that include energy, maritime transportation, ICT, biorisk, arctic and multifunctional materials and services. So far, Dr. Mestl has given the Technology Outlook 2020 presentation (either alone or together with colleagues) over 54 times!

Dr. Mestl spoke about the role and importance of technology in sustainable development now and in the future. It is known that the sustainability movement has become increasingly important for businesses worldwide as they face rising competition and the need to meet economic, social and environmental requirements. There are a number of reasons why markets are now depending on technology to push forward the idea of sustainable development. These include the political need for the concept of sustainable development to accommodate economic growth as well as the failure of governments at the 1992 Earth Summit to reach a consensus on reducing either population growth or consumption. This has forced one and all to depend on technology for the achievement of sustainable development and reduction of environmental impact of resources.

Thus, DNV is focused on leveraging on the rising global demand for innovation to tackle major challenges such as climate change, feeding a growing population, meeting the increasing demands for energy and tackling diseases.

The Lecture provided a brief into DNV’s Technology Outlook 2020 report that analyses the various technologies and trends that will make an impact by the end of the decade.

The audience, which consisted of members from the corporate world and EEG members, asked a number of relevant questions that were well answered by the speaker.

EEG’s 10^th Community Lecture ended with Mrs. Al Marashi providing Dr. Mestl with a crystal as a token of appreciation. EEG Chairperson also thanked Emarat Atrium for the venue and Abela for the catering.