GE (NYSE: GE) today unveiled its ecomagination Center in Masdar City to develop innovative solutions for driving sustainable growth. Masdar City, located in Abu Dhabi, UAE is one of the world’s most sustainable cities and is on a mission to discover a “greenprint” for how cities can accommodate for denser populations, while reducing energy, water and waste.

As part of a strategic co-operation agreement signed between GE and Mubadala Development Company, the ecomagination Center was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE minister of state and CEO of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company.

Building on GE’s ecomagination initiative, a technology platform to increase customer productivity and drive cleaner energy solutions, the new Center will showcase GE advanced technology solutions and offer training on the challenges and opportunities in advancing energy and water efficiency. The Center also serves as a hub for localized innovation that involves all key stakeholders including GE’s partners, educational institutions and the community at large.

With a projected 60 percent of the world’s population living in cities by 2030, dense urban centers are at the frontlines of addressing sustainable development. As a result, cities must adopt sustainable solutions that reduce their dependency on resources. The addition of ecomagination Center combines GE’s legacy of innovation with Masdar’s pioneering efforts to create a collaborative environment to advance energy and water efficiency solutions.

The ecomagination Center is located in the Incubator Building, Masdar City’s first commercial property in the heart of the city’s research and development cluster. Over the course of 2014, the Incubator Building will be home to more than 60 companies.

“Masdar City is setting a global benchmark in resource efficiency through its use of innovative design practices and technologies,” said HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE minister of state and CEO of Masdar. “GE’s ecomagination Center supports our collective efforts to encourage stronger public-private sector engagement and advance sustainable development. GE is among the key companies who have chosen to establish at Masdar City and will play an important role in nurturing and promoting clean technology solutions.

“Masdar City is on a journey to build the world’s most sustainable city,” added Dr. Al Jaber. “The addition of GE is an important milestone in our growth, as we expand and incorporate a diverse mix of tenants. Today, Masdar is a sustainable operation, combining multinational companies, organizations, startups and the amenities that make up a diverse urban community.”

 

Nabil Habayeb, GE’s president & CEO for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said: “Locating the ecomagination Center at Masdar City further delivers on our promise to be an active partner in the concerted efforts of the UAE Government to promote a culture of sustainability. The Center builds on our long heritage in the country, and our commitment to support the vision of the Abu Dhabi Government to integrate sustainable growth as a key pillar of all its activities. Masdar City’s mission complements our sustainability objectives and is an ideal home for our first ecomagination center.”

Deb Frodl, GE’s global executive director of ecomagination, explained: “The GE ecomagination Center in Abu Dhabi reflects the growing importance that the UAE places in promoting sustainable growth. It will encourage businesses, the community and NGOs to work together to address the sustainability challenges of our time.”

Spread over an area of 840 sq m, the GE ecomagination Center presents a unique journey for visitors that highlight the UAE’s vision for a greener world, the significance of the GE-Mubadala partnership, and the various innovations of GE to secure a cleaner and more efficient energy infrastructure. It presents the global energy footprint, the regional and local initiatives to promote energy and water use efficiency with spotlights on the GE technologies that drive water, energy, lighting and transportation efficiency.

Several case studies on the success of ecomagination will be showcased at the Center. It will also present the Industrial Internet initiative of GE that combines intelligent machines, advanced analytics and people at work in ways that dramatically improve productivity and efficiency.
 

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