Sustainability Forum Middle East (SFME) has announced the completion of team registrations for its inaugural Sustainability Future Lab – University Challenge.
Sustainability Forum Middle East (SFME) has announced the completion of team registrations for its inaugural Sustainability Future Lab – University Challenge.The new youth-focused initiative is taking place as part of the Forum’s 4th edition, to be held on January 27 and 28 at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay in the presence of Dr Mohamed bin Mubarak Bin Daina, Minister of Oil & Environment and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs. 

Powered by KPMG Bahrain and supported by the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), the Sustainability Future Lab – University Challenge will see eight multidisciplinary student teams take part comprising more than 62 university students from across Bahrain. 

Students taking part hail from both public and private universities, including the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), Bahrain Polytechnic, Kingdom University Bahrain, the University of Strathclyde, the University of Bahrain, and the University of Technology Bahrain.

Introduced in line with the Forum’s 2026 theme, “Advancing Alignment, Innovation, and Implementation for Energy and Climate Transformation,” Sustainability Future Lab – University Challenge aims to support capability building and human capital development by actively engaging university students in real-world sustainability challenges aligned with Bahrain’s national priorities and global climate commitments.

The initiative is designed to provide a structured platform linking student participation at Sustainability Forum Middle East with a post-Forum innovation sprint, mentorship, and awareness-building activities. Through this process, students are challenged to develop practical and scalable solutions aligned with Bahrain’s ESG imperatives, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the core themes addressed across the Forum agenda.

As part of the challenge, participating teams will select one of four sustainability-focused scenarios reflecting key regional and global priorities, including Climate Finance and Resilience, Technology for Net Zero, Nature and Carbon Markets, and Capacity Building for Sustainability Delivery. Each scenario is directly linked to priority panel discussions at SFME, ensuring strong integration between Forum insights and student-led innovation.

Mentorship will form a central pillar of Sustainability Future Lab – University Challenge, with each team supported by experienced sustainability professionals throughout the challenge period. KPMG Bahrain will play a leading role in facilitating mentor engagement, supporting teams during the innovation sprint, and guiding the overall evaluation framework.

Teams will participate in a Pre-Forum Briefing on January 24, ahead of their engagement at the Forum on January 27. Following the Forum, the Innovation Sprint will take place from 28 January to 2 February 2026, culminating in final submissions and a Pitch Day and Awards Ceremony on 3 February 2026, where teams will present their solutions to an expert judging panel.

Further details regarding the judging panel, comprising representatives from the Forum’s partners and leading sustainability experts, will be announced in the coming weeks, said a statement.

Through the Sustainability Future Lab – University Challenge, Sustainability Forum Middle East continues to reinforce its commitment to empowering youth, fostering innovation, and developing the next generation of sustainability leaders to support Bahrain’s transition toward a resilient, inclusive, and low-carbon future. – TradeArabia News Service