On the 13th of March, the Lebanese National Energy held a conference conducted on theme: “Sustainable energy in Lebanon from the 2020 concrete targets to the 2030 visions”, where Dr. Toni Issa, President of IPT Energy Center (IPTEC) had an intervention within the human factor panel, to better understand the potential of the energy sector in generating job opportunities and the significant role of the universities and start-ups in the creation of new technologies and academic disciplines.
Dr. Issa discussed jobs and workforce development in the clean energy economy in Lebanon since the increase in renewable energy projects affects jobs creation on a large scale, especially if the government and the financial institutions are providing a full support. Of course such benefits occur only when the universities create new disciplines related to the energy sector.
Dr. Issa focused as well on the readiness for investment in sustainable energy rise in Lebanon and the establishment of entrepreneurial ecosystems and growth oriented entrepreneurship. This growth is influenced by numerous elements such as the role is playing the fourth industrial revolution on linking different application fields and disciplines within the energy sector in addition to the positioning of incubators and accelerators in aspiring entrepreneurs to get into the market and generate new innovations.
Dr. Issa concluded his intervention by highlighting on the renewable energy growth in Lebanon, and how energy projects help creating more than 10.000 job opportunities all over Lebanon, based on the study developed by the Central Bank of Lebanon. This expansion is related directly to the role the ministry of energy is playing to assist renewable energy progress in Lebanon in addition to the surge of start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures and the way they are enhancing the employment generation.
The Lebanese National Energy conference was launched under the high patronage of His Excellency the president of the Lebanese Republic, General Michel Aoun and in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Water and the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC). The conference program addressed three main subjects covering:
- The Investment opportunities in renewable energy
- The ability and readiness of EDL to integrate renewable energy plants and the projects foreseen until 2020
- The Human Factor: Jobs Creation and the Role of Universities and Start-Ups