World Economic Forum launches new centres for the energy transition
Image: 123RF.com
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced new centres for the energy transition as part of its ‘Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution’ (C4IR) initiative.
The upcoming centres are in Muscat, Oman and Pretoria, South Africa focussed on AI and the energy transition and the twin challenges of industry digitisation and decarbonisation respectively, with the third in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on cyber economics.
The C4IR Oman centre, to be hosted by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology of Oman, is planned to focus on AI competitiveness, governance, the energy transition and quantum.
The aim is to align the centre with the country’s ‘Vision 2040′ and to spearhead its technological and digital transformation by harnessing cutting-edge technologies to catalyse national development and drive sustainable economic growth.
Have you read?
Tech Talk | Net zero technology manufacturing in Europe – challenges and opportunities
The urgent need for smart capital investments to speed up decarbonisation
Through this collaboration, C4IR Oman is planned to contribute to the Forum’s AI Governance Alliance, with a particular focus on how AI can advance the energy transition.
Commenting, Mohammed Ahmed Al-Saqri, Oman’s Minister of Economy, said: “Guided by Vision 2040, we’re equipping youth with tools, technologies, education and training to excel in the digital era. Through innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities, we aim to build skills that drive growth and advance Oman forward.”
The South Africa Centre for Industry and Technology, to be hosted by the University of Pretoria and run in collaboration with South African academic institutions, is aimed to advance the country’s readiness for the future of global value chains and the energy transition, with a focus on the twin challenges of inclusive cross-industry digitisation and decarbonisation.
To accelerate innovation and partnerships in pursuit of this mission, the Centre intends to partner with government and business, as well as leverage the Forum’s communities and initiatives, including other C4IR centres.
Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, has described the partnership as a major step in driving technological progress and industrial transformation.
“The centre will help position South Africa for manufacturing readiness and support its sustainable energy transition towards net zero.”
AI and energy
Among the activities highlighted in the latest annual report from the C4IR is the ‘AI for energy’ initiative, which is exploring opportunities for the integration of AI in Azerbaijan’s energy systems with the aim of enhancing sustainability and energy efficiency, particularly in urban environments.
The information being gathered is expected to be instrumental in crafting targeted use cases and lessons learned that improve urban energy management through AI solutions, both in Azerbaijan and globally.
