Masdar Institute and MIT to Host Symposium on Sustainable Critical Infrastructure

High-Ranking Officials and Professionals from Government, Academia and Industry to Gather for Discussions on 24 March

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 23 March, 2014 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) today announced they are jointly hosting a symposium on sustainable critical infrastructure in Abu Dhabi.

Titled ‘Perspectives on Sustainable Critical Infrastructure’, the Masdar Institute-MIT 2014 Symposium will be held on 24 March at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. High-ranking officials and professionals from government, academia and industry will participate in the forum to highlight the challenges and opportunities in developing critical infrastructure sustainably.

The symposium will include three sessions with short presentations from academia, government and industry, which will be followed by moderated discussions on topics related to infrastructure development from a sustainability perspective. It will discuss how integration can provide tangible results in three critical infrastructure areas – transportation systems, supply chains and logistic systems and urban planning and operations. Participants and panelists will address energy and resource use, current local and global challenges in infrastructure development, best practices and innovation to meet these challenges. The event on 24 March will be followed by a tour at the campus.

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said: “Sustainable infrastructure remains critical to global development and the joint symposium aims to highlight this factor through discussions and presentations by experts. With the support of the UAE leadership, we collaborate with leading academic institutions as well as government and private sector organizations to drive home the need to adopt sustainable measures. We hope the speakers at the symposium will bring forth fresh concepts in transportation, supply chain and smarter cities for the benefit of the community.”

On 24 March, three faculty from MIT including Dr. Joseph M. Sussman, JR East Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Systems, Dr. Daniel Roos, Japan Steel Industry Professor of Engineering Systems and Civil and Environmental Engineering, Emeritus and Founding Director, MIT Engineering Systems Division, and Dr. Christoph Reinhart of the Sustainable Design Lab, will be representing academia in the discussions. They will be joined by Associate Professors Dr. Sgouris Sgouridis and Dr. Ali Diabat, along with Assistant Professor Dr. Abdulla Galadari - all from the Engineering Systems and Management program from Masdar Institute.

Dr. Nawal Al Hosany, Director of Sustainability Masdar, Director of Zayed Future Energy Prize, Masdar, and Anthony Mallows, Director of Masdar City will also be addressing the symposium.

UAE government entities that will be represented by high-ranking officials at the symposium include Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport, Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA), Abu Dhabi Ports Company, Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), Strata, UAE Armed Forces, Abu Dhabi Airports, and Urban Planning Council (UPC) of Abu Dhabi. The industry will be represented by officials from Aramex, GE Gulf, Booz & and Company Ltd. (UK).