Smart heating systems makers, vertical farmers, carbon offsetting specialists and those involved in combatting deforestation have all made a splash at the Innovation Zero Congress.
It opened in London on Wednesday, as 7,000 policymakers, chief executives, innovators and financiers gathered for the Innovation Zero Congress.
Among the key speakers were Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Morocco, UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow Airport, and numerous academics, green fund managers and, of course, innovators and inventors.
The Olympia Hall was packed with more than 200 exhibitors at the UK's biggest clean tech conference showing how their products fit into the battle against climate change.
The National met some exhibitors and highlights some of the stand-out products.
Carbon-neutral concrete
By the age of 29, Dr Natasha Boulding had achieved much - she founded a building materials company, became a finalist for the Earthshot Prize and is on the under-30 Forbes List.
She's the chief executive and co-founder of Low Carbon Materials, a company that makes building aggregates from waste materials.
It's estimated that 4 to 8 per cent of carbon emissions come from the manufacture of concrete, but Low Carbon Materials has a solution.
Its product, Osto, is carbon-negative. When it's added to concrete mix, which is carbon-positive, the resulting concrete is neutral.
"I don't think it's a case of 'OK, we've reached neutral, let's stop' - there's always more that we can do and more ways that we can innovate," she told The National.
"Our core competencies as a company are research and development, and innovation. We're materials scientists, that's how we started.
"So, our passion is to go back and really rethink the way we use materials."
Solar panels in a roll
Power Roll technology is based on microgrooves, which are 1 to 2 microns (thousandths of a millimetre) wide and 1 to 2 microns deep, through which energy can travel.
By using this, the company can create an ultra-thin solar panel that you can roll up.
"Power Roll have, essentially, completely reinvented the silicon PV solar panel," the company's business development manager Steve Quinn told The National.
"The thin film replaces the conventional solar panel and can go places conventional solar panels can't go."
Because the roll is lightweight, it can be installed on surfaces that might be deemed unsuitable for heavy traditional solar panels.
"We look to address that kind of issue, where conventional solar just can't be deployed for reasons of weight, cost and rigidity."
"Everybody sees the potential for this product, because it can go places and do things that conventional panels just can't do."
Charging from a lamppost
Across the floor of the enormous hall at Olympia, is the stand with a product that could be part of the solution for increasing the take-up of electric vehicles in the world's most crowded cities.
At the moment, public chargers for EVs in major cities tend to be scarce and confined to wealthier neighbourhoods, where most of the early adopters of the technology live.
But char.gy says its products can change that, by bringing EV charging to the masses.
It has charging units that attach to lampposts, thus tapping into the already existing power supply. Char.gy installs the software and has technical teams that maintain the units.
"We take care of everything for [local] councils to put charge points in the streets where people don't have driveways, which is one of the big barriers that lots of people have for going electric," Shayne Rees from Char.gy told The National.
"Believe it or not, lampposts have a lot more power capacity running to them that's necessary for the lighting.
"We can normally get about 5 kilowatts of charging power out of a lamppost, which is great for overnight charging."
A sense of community
All the exhibitors that The National spoke to acknowledged the tremendous sense of community at the Innovation Zero event. It was good to know, they commented, that there were others doing completely different work in completely different areas, but with the same net-zero goal.
When she walks out of the conference when it finishes on Thursday, Dr Boulding will feel inspired, but also aware of the harsh reality of "where we're at as a country, and what we need to do faster and more efficiently to reach net zero".
For Mr Rees, being surrounded by more than 7,000 participants all pulling in the same direction was humbling in itself.
"It's really inspiring," he told The National.
"There is enough of a collective consciousness and willingness to get stuff done. There are so many companies getting involved in tackling this problem, it shows that there's progress."
Scotland's team:
15-Sean Maitland, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Nick Grigg, 12-Sam Johnson, 11-Byron McGuigan, 10-Finn Russell, 9-Ali Price, 8-Magnus Bradbury, 7-Hamish Watson, 6-Sam Skinner, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Ben Toolis, 3-Willem Nel, 2-Stuart McInally (captain), 1-Allan Dell
Replacements: 16-Fraser Brown, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Jonny Gray, 20-Josh Strauss, 21-Greig Laidlaw, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Chris Harris
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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The%20specs
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Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Sassuolo v Bologna (11.45pm)
Saturday
Brescia v Torino (6pm)
Inter Milan v Verona (9pm)
Napoli v Genoa (11.45pm)
Sunday
Cagliari v Verona (3.30pm)
Udinese v SPAL (6pm)
Sampdoria v Atalanta (6pm)
Lazio v Lecce (6pm)
Parma v Roma (9pm)
Juventus v Milan (11.45pm)
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus
To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
