GlassPoint Solar, a leading supplier of solar energy to the oil and gas industry, has signed a collaboration agreement with a host of partners to establish its corporate social responsibility initiative, the ‘GlassPoint Innovation Spur’, in Oman.

The programme is set to contribute and sustainably drive innovation within Oman’s renewable energy and water management sectors. The list of partners includes The Research Council (TRC), Innovation Park Muscat (IPM), Public Authority for SME Development (Riyada) and Sharakah, said a statement.

An intensive full-cycle incubation programme, the GlassPoint Innovation Spur will provide aspiring Omani entrepreneurs with an integrated ecosystem of scientific, technical and business support, it said.

The two-year programme will equip participants with valuable skills through coaching and mentorship, as they transform their innovations into implementable businesses. Robust screening, selection, and testing criteria is in place to ensure originality and economic feasibility. Selected entrepreneurs will receive practical support to further develop their inventions and establish businesses before being linked to investors.
    
Signing the agreement on behalf of GlassPoint was Ben Bierman, chief operating officer and acting chief executive officer.

Bierman said: “We are committed to driving innovation for a sustainable Oman. That is why we are launching the initiative to act as a catalyst and create green businesses.”

“It transcends typical business-related programs because it goes beyond conceptualisation and training and focuses on knowledge-transfer. Thanks to the contributions of our partners, we are able to offer a full-fledged mentorship and incubation programme that promises to hone the business acumen of Omani entrepreneurs and help them grow their inventions into feasible and sustainable businesses,” he added.

Dr Hilal Ali Zaher Al-Hinai, secretary general of TRC, said: “Our organisation recognises the significant role of entrepreneurship promoting a culture of innovation and research amongst Oman’s young talent.”

“This is an initiative that stands out for its unequivocal focus on transforming innovations into genuinely valuable and needed commercial products and services,” he said.

Representing IPM at the signing ceremony was Dr AbdulBaqi Ali Al Khabouri, director of Science Parks.

He said: “Through IPM, we look forward to providing Oman’s ambitious, innovative and talented entrepreneurs with the required tools to unlock their full potential and ensure a sustainable and successful future for these fledgling businesses.”

Signing for Riyada, was Khalid bin Al Safi Al Huraibi, acting chief executive of Riyada. He said: “There is certainly tremendous entrepreneurial spirit in the sultanate but bringing an innovation to market and creating a sustainable business is a complicated process.”

“Well-researched and thoroughly planned, this programme is a rigorous, motivating and realistic preparation for the commercial journey. Riyada is proud to lend its expertise to the participants and helping them take the necessary right first steps to ensure a sustainable success of their innovations,” he said.
 
The agreement was also signed by Abdullah Al Jufaili, general manager of Sharakah. He remarked: “Sharakah is proud to partner in this program in order to develop new innovative and research-based renewable energy and water management start-ups in Oman.”

“We are confident that the foundation and direction this program provides will equip Oman’s young eco-entrepreneurs for both domestic and international success,” he added.

An example to the Innovation Spur entrepreneurs, GlassPoint developed its own proprietary solar technology that’s been deployed on oilfields in California and the Middle East. Its unique technology harnesses the sun’s free and renewable energy to produce steam for heavy oil extraction.

The company is currently building Miraah, one of the world’s largest solar plants, in partnership with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) in the Amal oil field in the south of Oman. The landmark, one gigawatt project is helping transform the renewable energy sector in the sultanate, spurring employment opportunities and positioning Oman as a hub for innovative solutions.

Socially responsible, GlassPoint supports the Omani Government’s economic diversification strategy and is committed to the development of a world-class solar industry in the Sultanate.

The GlassPoint Innovation Spur will begin accepting applications shortly. The first-of-its-kind initiative is an exciting opportunity for higher education students and entrepreneurs looking to transform their innovative ideas into real businesses, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service