The Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, SRTI Park, the UAE’s premier research and innovation hub, is organising the first edition of the MENA Innovation Technology Transfer Summit, MITT Summit, a marathon hybrid summit spanning 14 hours of discussions on innovation, technology transfer and sustainability, on 22nd September 2020.

With more than 50 international speakers, 5,000 participants from 100 countries, the summit will bring together global investors, government and private sector representatives, experts, entrepreneurs, academics, and other relevant stakeholders for an immersive experience of knowledge sharing, business showcasing and networking.

MITT Summit is held under the patronage of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, in partnership with Women in Tech (Global Movement) MTL connect (Canada) and PauseFest (Australia) It will start at 10:00 (UAE time) on 22nd September 2020, to enable representatives from all major time zones to participate in this conference.

Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTI Park, remarked, "MITT Summit is a historic summit not only because it is a marathon hybrid summit but it is an international platform that convenes the private sector, government and academia to co-innovate and co-create new business opportunities, new ventures and new technologies."

"MITT Summit is in line with "the vision that anticipates the future" being advocated by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah," said Al Mahmoudi, adding, "The Middle East is becoming the world’s fastest-growing marketplace for business and technology transformation."

Among the many topics to be discussed include how to future-proof one of the world’s important natural resources, which is water. In this panel discussion, global water experts will discuss how the future of water supply depends on technology and innovation.

The future of transportation will also be discussed as experts will share transformative transportation technologies and when the next era of transportation will be off the ground.

As the UAE has set forth on a historic mission to Mars, the Summit will also talk about the future of Space and how humans can someday colonise the Red Planet.

Solving the global disparity in access to technology will also be tackled. Panellists will discuss why equal access to the internet is the key to the prosperity of generations to come, and what actions should be taken to narrow the digital divide.

More experts will talk about building smart cities and discuss how to take the best parts of technology and innovation to build a sustainable global community.

Following the summit is the first-ever MENA Innovation Technology Transfer Summit Awards that will recognise and celebrate excellence and leadership in Innovation and Technology under three categories: MITTS Global Award, MENA’s Rising Star and Women in Tech MENA Award.

MITT Summit Global Award will recognise organisations, start-ups, enterprise, non-profit companies that promote innovation technology and create a positive impact in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Winners will receive prizes that include grants, accelerator programmes and business residency at the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park.