NETANYA, Israel — The government of the gulf emirate Abu Dhabi has pledged a $15 billion of investment in sustainable energy and clean technology development, as part of its aspiration to become a world leader in the field.
Abu Dhabi's program is set to target solar, wind and hydrogen power; alongside carbon-footprint management and reduction. Education, R&D and manufacturing will all be targeted in an emphasis on sustainable development for the country.
So-called 'cleantech' has become the latest hot investment sector and buzzword du jour for an investment community that is becoming tired of underperforming semiconductor and information technology sectors. According to a survey from the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), venture capital dollars for clean technology are projected to grow in 2008, but semiconductor funding will decline.
On Monday (Feb. 18), a coalition of more than forty U.S. and European institutional investors announced a commitment to invest $10 billion in clean technology over the next two years.
Clean technology is also becoming more important for players in the semiconductor capital equipment arena. In September 2006, Applied Materials Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.) announced that it intended to provide manufacturing tools, technology and process innovations borrowed from the flat-panel and semiconductor industries that would enable customers to increase colar cell conversion efficiency and yields.
In what is claimed to be the world's largest single government commitment to development of sustainable energy technology, the $15 billion will be channeled into a range of investments, projects and education initiatives through the government's Masdar Initiative, a company established to explore, develop and commercialize future energy sources.
Masdar — which in Arabic means "the source" — intends to leverage the Abu Dhabi government's initial $15 billion investment with joint ventures and other investment partners to create a portfolio many times larger. It will comprise projects in Abu Dhabi, the Middle East and North Africa region, and beyond.
The announcement of Abu Dhabi's plan came from General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the United Arab Emirates armed forces. He spoke at the World Future Energy Summit which took place in Abu Dhabi late January. The summit attracted 3,000 delegates and more than 200 companies took space at the related exhibition. The organizers are planning a follow-up event to take place on Jan. 19 to 21, 2009.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Executive pay:
The economy stinks. Rank-and-file engineers are feeling the pain. What about technology CEOs? We crunched the numbers buried in corporate financial statements to find out. Here's what we found.
10 companies in trouble (revisited):
What follows is an updated version of 10 companies in trouble. Some companies have been removed since the last version, others remain. Still others have been added to the mix.
Early predictions for 2010:
The electronics industry is recovering, but there is still some uncertainty in the market. Some see a boom year in 2010. Some see a double dip. So what's in store for the rest of this year and 2010?
Top 10 IC vendors with cash:
The world's biggest IC companies by revenue rank not only among the best in their respective industry segments but are also more likely to have huge piles of cash that can be used to fund acquisitions, R&D and product development.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
