The UK Track of the Merage
DeserTech Competition
UK Companies Adapting to Arid climates
Climate change increases the extent of deserts globally, and with it the need to adapt to extreme climate conditions. The Merage DeserTech competition together with the Wohl Clean Growth Alliance, the British Council and the UK Science & Innovation Network, offers a designated track for companies (SME's) from the UK, interested in exploring new markets, learning about the most burning desert issues and the growing business opportunities that come with adapting solutions to arid climates. DeserTech is a growing sector predicted to affect more than 9 billion people by 2050.
Explore how your solution can address climate adaptation challenges and how you can engage in this emerging sector.
Competition Prize: DeserTech Adaptation Seminar
The 10 leading UK companies will be invited to participate in a fully funded prestigious and intensive Technology Adaptation Seminar in Be'er Sheva, Israel, where they will:
Understand
The essential issues around Desertech that are relevant to your product
Explore
The necessary changes to embed in your technology to better address desert needs
Expand
Your understanding of stakeholders in the field: experts, suppliers, competitors and customers
Interact
With the vibrant Israeli DeserTech ecosystem: experts, academia, entrepreneurs & corporates that specialize in the field
Who Can Apply?
UK SME's operating in the sectors of water, renewable energy, agriculture or infrastructure that:
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Have a solution that can be adapted to arid climates and address a global desert challenge
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Show readiness to expand to new markets and invest in new technologies
Evaluation Process
Companies will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Relevance
Degree in which the technology or service can address one or more desert challenges: extreme climate, water scarcity and availability, land degradation and remote & marginal living
Feasibility
Can the technology or service be adapted to effectively operate in arid climates?
Impact
Positive environmental, economic, and social impact of the solution to the given challenge
Business Model
Scalability & commercialization potential of the solution in the global market
Readiness
To build collaborations to reach new markets and invest in new technologies
The evaluation process will be conducted by an international judging committee consisting of leading experts from the industry and academia.
The judging committee will select the 10 UK companies with the most promising solutions or readiness to adapt its technology and build collaborations to reach new markets.
Judging Committee
Parmjit S. Chima
Head of Engineering Department,
Harper Adams University, UK
Ian Cox
Innovation Lead,
Agri-Tech Centers
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Helen Sweeney
UK National Contact Point
Rob Ward
Founder and CEO
Jenna Ross
International Business Development Manager
Tareq Abu Hamed
Director,
Arava Institute
Prof. Moshe Herzberg
Researcher,
The Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Ben Gurion University
Dr. Eran Raveh
Head,
Gilat Research Center
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