SRTI Park to host 'Women in Technology Forum and Awards' on September 20

A galaxy of women achievers and entrepreneurs from across the globe and region will assemble to discuss women’s vital role in sustainability and sustainable innovation at the Women in Tech Forum and Awards to be hosted by the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation (SRTI) Park on 20th September.

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SRTI Park, will deliver a keynote speech at the forum, which is themed on “Sustainability and Sustainable Innovation” to highlight women’s achievements in this vital sector, as part of the UAE’s preparations to host the Conference of the Parties (COP28).

The 4th annual forum organised by the Women in Tech organisation will bring together researchers, experts, representatives from international organisations, advocates of women’s empowerment, and a number of female entrepreneurs, in addition to representatives from the government and private sectors, for an immersive experience of knowledge sharing, debates, and networking.

The Women in Tech® MENA Awards, in its second edition, will honour women achievers in the field of innovation. It is one of the 7 regional awards that celebrate remarkable women around the world, who innovate, inspire, and transform the technology sector. Last year’s event honoured eight outstanding women innovators from the region.

Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTI Park, said the forum resonates with the Park’s objectives of spurring women to engage in innovative technology ventures, in line with the vision of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to promote women’s empowerment.

“Among SRTI Park’s goals is to work with local and international partners to identify more opportunities for the economic empowerment of women, enabling them to be leaders and contributors in the fields of science, technology and innovation. This event also represents the celebration of the great achievements of Emirati women, especially in the technology sector,” Al Mahmoudi remarked.

The theme of sustainability and sustainable Innovation will serve to highlight women’s role in this field, as the UAE gears to host COP28, which aims to explore modern innovations and investment opportunities that would support the world’s efforts to achieve climate neutrality, attended by a galaxy of world leaders and experts.

The forum will address a number of global issues that highlight the role of women and their achievements in this field, as well as ways to overcome the challenges to sustainable innovation and achieve compatibility with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - a roadmap for global transformation.

Elite expert speakers will highlight the interplay of innovation and sustainability with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Among the forum's diversified programme will be sessions on women's leadership in family businesses -- a key element in the Gulf’s business landscape -- and the power of youth in driving sustainable innovation.

The Women in Technology Awards are part of international awards programme organised at the global level on six continents, with the goal of celebrating inspiring female role models in the technology sectors, and enabling women to actively participate in development and in shaping the future.