Ras Al Khaimah to host 17th World Micromachine Summit

His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, under whose patronage this Summit is being held, will open the event on April 26th.

The discussions during the Summit, being sponsored by RAKIA, will focus on the challenges of using high-end micro and nanotechnologies for renewable energies, in particular solar energy, which is expected to be a major source of energy in the next decades, across the world.

H.H. Sheikh Saud said, "In recent years, the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah has made significant investments in the renewable energy domain, more specifically with regard to harnessing the potential of solar power. In light of these path-breaking developments, it is only appropriate that we are hosting this edition of the World Micromachine Summit, which will once again turn the global spotlight on Ras Al Khaimah and reaffirm our ongoing commitment to a sustainable future."

Ras Al Khaimah, home of the UAE branch of the Neuchâtel's Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), is investing in CSEM-UAE to build state of the art R&D facilities for Solar and Cleantech. These facilities are conceived to achieve leading international academic and industrial cooperation developing marketable solutions. Some of the pioneering projects are the creation of an artificial Solar Island that will provide a source of clean energy and the development of Solar Cooling, Solar Water Desalination and Reflective Micro Coatings that will cut the needs of electricity reducing by the same the carbon foot print. Ras Al Khaimah is also home to EPFL Middle East, the UAE branch of Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), a leading university of science and technology.

EPFL Middle East is an interdisciplinary graduate research center, with a clear focus on the future of energy and sustainability, applied to hot and arid climates: wind energy and wind engineering, energy systems, water resources, sustainable urban and architectural design, sustainable multimodal transportation. Research, training and industrial collaborations take place at the MSc and PhD level. Technology transfer activities include focused research projects, scientific conferences, and executive education programs.

They are of high scientific level and generally imply collaborations with a local institutional or private partner to ensure both pertinence and value.

Seventeen delegations representing 22 countries, including Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, China, UAE, USA, South America, UK, Taiwan, Switzerland, European Commission, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Japan, Korea, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Romania, will be attending the three-day summit. The delegates will also have the opportunity to visit high tech companies, in particular Falcon Technologies International, CSEM-UAE and the Masdar project. Falcon Technologies International operates a brand new clean room for the production of millions of CDs, DVDs and Blueray Discs. CSEM-UAE runs a unique open air laboratory for solar energy and clean technology, while the Masdar project aims to become one of the most sustainable urban developments in the world. The 2011 edition of the Summit is being organized by the Swiss delegation in Ras Al Khaimah.

The World Micromachine Summit was first held in Kyoto in 1995. Each edition of Summit is meant to provide a snapshot to worldwide industrial, academic and government initiatives in the field of micro and nanotechnologies. Delegates from around the world gather in a roundtable environment to address topics of special interest and discuss the progress and policies in each country and region.