The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has this week held a series of interactive workshops and activities for employees and strategic partners to mark Innovation Week. The activities fall in line with the directives of the government and the continued pursuit of excellence in UAE institutions.
The week has been designed to encourage innovative and creative thought by employees from ENEC and Nawah Energy Company (Nawah), the operating subsidiary co-owned with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), in an effort to continuing refining work methods and improve productivity. The program included workshops and nuclear energy related activities on topics such as innovation with partners, future trends, innovation in ICT, research and development, and included both an innovation marathon and hackathon.
During the innovation marathon, which took place on the third day of the program, departmental teams competed to generate ideas using the Innovative Plus System to solve internal challenges and mitigate risks.
UAE Innovation Week (20 to 24 November) is one of the largest innovation initiatives in the world. Jointly developed by the Government and private sector entities, the initiative aims to strengthen the UAE’s global presence and increase its competitiveness on the international stage.
ENEC’s CEO, H.E Mohamed Al Hammadi, said: “I am a firm believer in fostering and promoting innovation within ENEC and the UAE as a whole. Innovative employees are able to get more done in less time by coming up with unique solutions to problems, and this translates into increased efficiency and competitiveness when operating in the global arena.”
“ENEC is committed to supporting the UAE’s transition to a knowledge-based economy through the development of a peaceful nuclear energy industry. Participating in UAE Innovation Week is in line with our vision and mission to transform the UAE’s energy landscape and support talented Emiratis as they become the pioneers of a new industry,” added Al Hammadi.
Al Hammadi concluded by highlighting how ENEC is working to bring clean, safe, and reliable nuclear energy to the UAE grid to power the future growth and development of the nation.
This spirit of innovation and creativity in ENEC and Nawah was reflected in the results of the activities as more than 200 ideas were put forward in the “innovative +” project, all of which were designed to create a more efficient, happier and improved working environment for staff.
The Innovation Hackathon brought together a number of teams that worked collectively on finding innovative solutions to the many challenges of work using sophisticated thinking models. This led to five proposals for improved systems and programs, which will now be implemented in the workplace.
The project at Barakah is progressing steadily. Overall, construction of Units 1 to 4 is now over 72 percent complete. All four units will deliver safe, clean, reliable and efficient nuclear energy to the UAE grid, pending regulatory reviews and licensing.