MUSCAT: The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the Environment Authority announced today the 5 winning projects in the 2021 Biodiversity Ideathon.
The projects varied between smart farming and production systems, artificial intelligence applications, modern irrigation systems, organic fertilizer products, pesticides and organic control, as well as organic cleaning and natural waste recycling products.
Dr Abdullah Ali Al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, said that this partnership between the ministry and the EA stem from their belief in innovation and scientific research to achieve environmental goals.
He added that the participant’s ideas were excellent and serve the environment. They also achieve part of the 10-million-tree planting initiative, which is a national and global goal as it reduces emissions and improves air quality, said Dr Abdullah.
The Chairman of the Environment Authority honored the winning projects. The ceremony was attended by Dr Saif Abdullah al Haddabi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation for Scientific Research and Innovation.
The five teams were Cordiamotive, Furat, Qatrah, Fateel Oman and Talaa.
Cordiamotive by Bashar Said Al Amri’s is an antioxidant that saves fruits from damage for a longer period. Furat by Nebras Hamdan Al Shekailia is a device with built-in units that filter grey water with local wealth and raw materials. Qatrah by Ahmed Amer Saud Al Jabri is a smart crop irrigation product that automatically wilds crops according to their actual water needs on the soil moisture scale without the intervention of the human element.
Fateel Oman by Aysha Juma Mohammed Al Balushi, makes a nutritious agricultural medium for plants and soil characterised by its ability to retain water for periods and its ability to keep insects and pests away from the plant, increase the efficiency of water and nutrients, improve the physical properties of the soil, increase the ability of water retention in the soil.
Talaa by Nusseibeh Khalifa Al Amrania is organic pesticide from a plant formula, which is one of the most widespread plant species in the Omani environment to eliminate the pest of the insect that causes the fall of the fruits newly formed from palm trees.
Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of MoHERI, Najah Mohammed Al Rashdi, Director-General of the Innovation Center at the MoHERI, said, “The number of the winning teams has increased from 4 teams in the past editions to 5 teams this year. The grant has also been increased from RO 2,500 to approximately RO10,000 per team.”
“Among the most important achievements of the winning teams is that two companies (Rihan and Rataq) of the previously winning teams, have already reached the final prototyping stage, while some others have initial prototypes during the incubation stage,” she added.
On behalf of the Environment Authority, Thuraya al Sariria, Assistant Director-General for Nature Conservation, said, “We are committed to search for innovative solutions to that balance between our ambitions, environmental considerations and the preservation of resources, especially as the Sultanate adopts the National Innovation Strategy.”
“The program succeeded in encouraging innovative ideas that will contribute to the embodiment of the initiative and achieve the goals and benefit from it environmentally, economically and educationally,” she added.
The theme for Manafa’a 2021 Program is the ‘National Initiative for Plantation of 10 Million Trees’. Manafa’a 2021 Program is implemented within a strategic partnership with the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at Sultan Qaboos University and Falha Investment Company, and is sponsored by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), SGS company and Oman India Fertilizer Company (OMIFCO).
Manafa’a Program aims to provide a platform for Omani and residents of Oman that are innovators and entrepreneurs to present, discuss and refine ideas for new products or services based on the biodiversity of the Sultanate, encourage the establishment of national small and medium enterprises based on benefiting from applied research in the field of biological resources, and build public awareness about the investment opportunities available in the field of biodiversity.
