Dubai, UAE: Intersolar, a solar industry event, has announced officially launching the ‘Young Leaders’ Innovation Challenge’, which will take place from 19 to 21 September, 2016 at the Intersolar Middle East event, to be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The contest, the announcement added, aims to encourage students across the MENA region to contribute to commitments made through the Paris Agreement at COP 21.

To be held under the patronage of H.E. Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, the nationwide competition, the announcement said, has attracted academic teams from across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Qatar. The teams, the announcement added, will have to demonstrate how 25% reduction in energy consumption can be achieved by retrofitting renewable energy technologies to a government building of their choice.

According to organisers of Intersolar Middle East, over 13 universities have joined the contest, including Masdar Institute, Khalifa University and Petroleum Institute from UAE, Sultan Qaboos University from Oman, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology from KSA and many more.

The organisers have informed that the teams have until 31 July, 2016 to submit their entries and the winner team will receive a reward, which includes a cash prize and an opportunity to exhibit their project and represent the Middle East in front of global leaders at the 2017 edition of Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany.

The organisers highlighted that the winning entries will be selected by a panel of jury members, including officials from Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA), DWTC, Dubai Municipality, First Solar, Green Technologies, Masdar and Clean Energy Business Council, amongst others entities.

Hadi Tahboub, Vice President at MESIA, said, “The Young Leaders’ Innovation Challenge is intended to create links between academic research and applied science at a time when the United Arab Emirates seeks to make good on its goal to increase its share of renewable energy to 24 percent by 2021.”

“The physical environment and attitudes toward sustainability in the United Arab Emirates,” he added, “make it an ideal hotbed for creating a world-class renewable energy sector, and we see great value in taking that message to the world through the Young Leaders’ Innovation Challenge.”