ACWANET Knowledge & Collaboration Platform

Keynotes, Panels, Demos and Posters

Theme: Innovation Ecosystem, Green Desalination, Industrial Al and Autonomous Solutions, Green Hydrogen

An opening note that sets the stage for Innovation Days by exploring how organizations can move from generating ideas to delivering impactful, scalable solutions. It highlights the importance of creating the right structures, partnerships, and cultures that enable innovation to progress beyond pilots and deliver measurable value. The session underscores how scaling innovation transforms vision into execution, driving sustainable growth and long-term impact across industries.

The Garage

Thomas Altmann

Executive Vice President, ACWA

9:00 am ~ 9:10 am Location Map

Location Map

The key ingredients for a successful innovation. Technical tone by emphasizing execution, real-world pilots, and value creation. Connects directly to Saudi’s role as a global testbed where innovations don’t stay in labs, they are deployed at industrial scale.

Objective:

• Show that deployment is not a single-company effort but requires ecosystem alignment.
• Highlight what mindset shifts and resources each actor brings to accelerate deployment.
• Position Saudi Arabia as a living laboratory where innovation doesn’t just get tested, but actually scales.

Mindset Shifts to Highlight:

• From Pilots to Scale: No longer satisfied with pilots; mindset is “deploy until it changes the market.”
• From Siloed to Collaborative: Corporates, government, academia, and talent pools must work together.
• From Short-Term ROI to Long-Term Value: Deployment requires patience, trust, and commitment — beyond quarterly returns.
• From Importing to Owning Innovation: Saudi as a place not just to adopt technology but to originate, adapt, and export it.

The Garage

Spyros Kouvelis

Team Leader, EU-GCC Cooperation on Green Transition

Bruce Niven

Chief Investment Officer, Aramco Ventures

Ian Campbell

Vice President, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

Abdulaziz Almuhaidib

General Director of Innovation & Development, Ministry of Energy (KSA)

Abdulaziz Aljodai

General Manager, Research, Development and Innovation Authority

Meredith Annex

Head, BloombergNEF

9:10 am ~ 9:45 am Location Map

Location Map

 Track opener that sets the stage: Why reducing energy consumption in desalination is critical to Saudi’s leadership in water sustainability and LCOW reduction. Establishes link to Vision 2030 and global water innovation challenges.

The Garage

Thomas Altmann

Executive Vice President, ACWA

9:45 am ~ 9:50 am Location Map

Location Map

This keynote highlights the Water STRIP Initiative, a strategic program to advance water security and sustainability in Saudi Arabia. The initiative focuses on accelerating innovation in desalination, water recycling, and climate-resilient water systems through research hubs, testbeds, and public‑private partnerships.

The Garage

Maha Aljuhani

Director, Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture

9:50 am ~ 10:00 am Location Map

Location Map

An external academic perspective highlighting the latest breakthroughs in green desalination. This session explores how frontier research is advancing sustainable desalination technologies and how these innovations can be translated into real-world, large-scale deployment.

The Garage

Eric M.V. Hoek

Professor, University of California (Los Angeles)

10:00 am ~ 10:10 am Location Map

Location Map

Internal presentation showcasing how ACWA Power is deploying innovations in desalination. Highlights measurable progress in reducing energy consumption and LCOW.

The Garage

Ratul Das

Executive Manager, ACWA

10:10 am ~ 10:20 am Location Map

Location Map

Exploring how different parts of the ecosystem are driving reductions in desalination energy intensity. Speakers from industry, academia, policy, and investment will discuss barriers to scaling, share best practices, and outline the steps Saudi Arabia must take to set new global benchmarks in green desalination.

The Garage

Hugo Birch

Editor, Global Water Intelligence

Sheng-Qiang Hei

Founder, Huaxin Nano Technology

Raphael Pouzet

CTO, SIDEM

Antonio Renom

Head of Middle East, Cox

Sérgio Casimiro

Executive Manager, ACWA

Gurdev Singh

Chief Engineering and Technology Officer, PUB Singapore’s National Water Agency

10:20 am ~ 10:50 am Location Map

Location Map

Spotlight external innovator (startup or technology provider) with disruptive desalination technology (e.g. zero-liquid-discharge systems, energy recovery devices). Case study of early adoption.

The Garage

Eusebio Nomen

CEO, WGA Water Global Access

10:50 am ~ 11:00 am Location Map

Location Map

An intense and thought-provoking dialogue delving into the latest advancements, challenges, and future directions in desalination pretreatment. This one-on-one exchange brings together leading minds in the field to explore how innovative pretreatment solutions can enhance efficiency, sustainability, and water quality across desalination processes.

The Garage

Naseem Zaya

Deputy Sub Department Head, ACWA

Ratul Das

Executive Manager, ACWA

Juan García Millán

Technical Director, Grupo Lantania

11:00 am ~ 11:20 am Location Map

Location Map

This opening note highlights how autonomous systems and industrial AI are reshaping energy and manufacturing. It sets the vision for a new industrial era defined by intelligence, resilience, and self-optimizing operations.

The Garage

Mariam Nouh

Vice President, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology

11:20 am ~ 11:30 am Location Map

Location Map

ACWA Power’s AI and Digital Twin Journey: Connecting the Entire Asset Lifecycle from Design to Operation:
Showcasing how automation enables a seamless, transparent flow across all asset lifecycle phases — with real results, challenges, and lessons from our digital transformation journey.

The Garage

Hiba Dernayka

Head of Digital Factory - PM, ACWA

Musleh Alameri

Executive Managing Officer, ACWA

Hani Abdu

Vice President, ACWA

Maxime Laugier

Chief Revenue Officer, Thinkproject

Jalal Zia

Executive Director, ACWA

Raed Alrayes

Head, ACWA

11:30 am ~ 11:50 am Location Map

Location Map

Highlighting cutting-edge research in machine learning, robotics, and control theory that could redefine industrial systems. The session explores advances such as self-learning algorithms, autonomous inspection platforms, and real-time optimization models and their readiness to scale into industry.

The Garage

Ci Song

Professor, Tsinghua University

11:50 am ~ 12:00 pm Location Map

Location Map

A panel of experts from technology providers, operators, and research institutions examines the technical barriers and breakthroughs shaping industrial AI. Topics include sensor integration, real-time data pipelines, edge computing, AI model robustness, and interoperability across complex plants. The discussion showcases how the ecosystem is engineering intelligence into industry at scale.

The Garage

Hiba Dernayka

Head of Digital Factory - PM, ACWA

Ahmad Aljadaan

General Manager, Research, Development and Innovation Authority

Thomas Altmann

Executive Vice President, ACWA

Bernard Ghanem

Chair/Director CoE for GenAI, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

Margarete Schramboeck

Board Member, Aramco Digital

Eid AlHarbi

President, Aramco Digital

12:00 pm ~ 12:30 pm Location Map

Location Map

A technical perspective on how leading companies are designing and operating the autonomous plant of the future. This session explores robotics integration, AI-driven safety systems, adaptive controls, and autonomous inspection showing practical innovations moving from pilots to scaled operations.

The Garage

Suwira Teo

Co-Founder, Aleph Technologies

12:30 pm ~ 12:40 pm Location Map

Location Map

A thought-provoking dialogue on how enterprise-grade AI and physical intelligence are coming together to drive the next generation of autonomous systems. The session will explore how machines can sense, reason, and operate in complex industrial environments, and how this convergence will reshape autonomous plants, robotics, and industrial resilience. Featuring leaders from enterprise AI, academia, and applied innovation, the conversation will look at how scalable AI platforms are moving from digital cognition to real-world, high-impact deployment.

The Garage

Bernard Ghanem

Chair/Director CoE for GenAI, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

Saejong Lee

Vice President, HUMAIN

12:40 pm ~ 1:00 pm Location Map

Location Map

A visionary opening framing green hydrogen as a cornerstone of the global energy transition. The session explores its role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries, strengthening energy security, and creating new economic value chains setting the stage for innovation and collaboration.

The Garage

Omar Germouni

Executive Director, ACWA

2:15 pm ~ 2:25 pm Location Map

Location Map

An inside look at ACWA Power’s flagship hydrogen projects in NGHC and Yanbu GH2. This session explores scale-up strategies, integration with renewables, and lessons from early deployment. Showing how national ambition is being translated into concrete delivery on the ground.

The Garage

Imane Benhayoun

Executive Manager, ACWA

2:25 pm ~ 2:35 pm Location Map

Location Map

Highlighting cutting-edge research and pilot-stage innovationse. This session reveals how disruptive science is accelerating commercialization and reshaping the future of hydrogen technologies.

The Garage

Bassam Dally

Professor, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

2:35 pm ~ 2:45 pm Location Map

Location Map

A dynamic discussion that explores real-world barriers and opportunities across technology, regulation, and finance, highlighting collaborative pathways to move green hydrogen innovation from concept to large-scale impact.
 

The Garage

Sarah Al Harthey

Director, ACWA

Sami Al-Saadan

Director, Ministry of Energy (KSA)

Carlo Snickars

Hydrogen Platform and Product Leader, Baker Hughes

Lennart Welter

Business Development Director, Thyssenkrupp Nucera

Daniel Sandermann

Chief Commercial Officer, Hysata

Abdulrahman Mohammed Abdulaal

Executive Director, ACWA

Bruno James

Head of Business Development, Airbus

Marko Virkebau

CEO & Co-Founder, Stargate Hydrogen Solutions

2:45 pm ~ 3:15 pm Location Map

Location Map

Presenting a technology to store hydrogen in a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) material that enables hydrogen storage and transport to be realized in commercial scale at ambient conditions. Hydrogen undergoes an exothermic catalytic hydrogenation reaction with the carrier material and is stored in a liquid form, which can be conveniently transported to a user site where a catalytic dehydrogenation takes place to liberate hydrogen gas; the carrier material can then be shipped back to the site of hydrogen source for rehydrogenation. Both LOHC and its hydrogenated substances are chemically stable and nonflammable with low toxicity. The hydrogen storage volumetric density is substantially higher than that of compressed hydrogen gas. The LOHC technology exhibits excellent compatibility with the existing petroleum-based energy infrastructure and thus paves a way for commercial scale applications. The technoeconomic analysis indicates that the technology offers a low cost, safe and convenient way for intercontinental transport of hydrogen compared with other mainstream hydrogen storage methods. Applications of the LOHC technology for industrial applications, energy storage and mobility will also be discussed.

The Garage

Hansong Cheng

Founder & CTO, Hynertech Co., Ltd.

3:15 pm ~ 3:25 pm Location Map

Location Map

Unlike conventional steady-state plants, green ammonia facilities must adapt to fluctuating renewable power. This session examines advances in process control, reactor optimization, and safety systems, addressing:

• Smarter control valve performance

• New features in synloop reactor operation

• Enhanced safety and emergency protocols for flexible operation

The Garage

Ilayaraja Karuppasamy

Senior Manager, Topsoe

3:25 pm ~ 3:35 pm Location Map

Location Map

As green hydrogen becomes an increasingly important element of the energy transition, the question is no longer if but how innovation will shape its trajectory. Who will lead this transformation: supply-side pioneers advancing technology and infrastructure, or demand-side players accelerating adoption across industries? This discussion explores the shifting dynamics between supply and demand, highlights the key contributors driving progress across the value chain, and delves into the diverse technology pathways and development strategies that will define the next phase of global green hydrogen innovation.

The Garage

Imane Benhayoun

Executive Manager, ACWA

Wolfram Münch

R&D Director, EnBW Energy Baden-Württemberg

Tulika Raj

Co-Founder & CEO, SunGreenH2

Leiliang Kobayashi

Senior Manager, ACWA

Sebastian Budischin

Senior Vice President, SEFE Securing Energy for Europe

3:35 pm ~ 3:55 pm Location Map

Location Map

Highlighting strategies for scaling clean energy startups, fostering collaboration between corporations and innovators, and accelerating the deployment of breakthrough technologies in the energy sector. The session would share actionable insights on bridging the gap between innovation and implementation, with a focus on creating measurable impact at scale.

The Garage

Georgina Campbell Flatter

Chief Executive Officer, Greentown Labs

4:05 pm ~ 4:15 pm Location Map

Location Map

A forward-looking close that synthesizes insights from across the track. This session challenges participants to imagine the next phase of industrial transformation, where efficiency, and resilience and inspires collaboration to accelerate this journey.

Keynotes, Panels, Demos, Posters and Closing Ceremony

Theme: Innovation Collaboration, Renewables, Energy Storage, and the Saudi Innovation Launchpad

A keynote that explores the essential elements that drive successful innovation. It highlights the strategies, mindsets, and ecosystems needed to turn ideas into impactful solutions. The session provides insights into how leadership, collaboration, experimentation, and culture come together to create an environment where innovation thrives and delivers tangible value.

The Garage

Thomas Altmann

Executive Vice President, ACWA

9:00 am ~ 9:10 am Location Map

Location Map

Innovation doesn’t stop at ideation, it thrives when ideas evolve into tangible impact. This panel explores the complete innovation lifecycle, from strategic foresight and research development to deployment and value creation. Senior leaders will share how governance, cross-sector collaboration, and centers of excellence can align research, strategy, and execution to accelerate innovation outcomes that drive real-world transformation.

The Garage

Thomas Altmann

Executive Vice President, ACWA

Abdulaziz Alrushaid

Director, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy

Osman M. Bakr

Associate Vice President, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

Hussam Qasem

General Manager, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology

Chen Ning

Management Committee Member, National Innovation Center Par Excellence

Dougan Sherwood

Partner, Cambridge Innovation Center

Timothy Mann

Co-Founder, Innovation Zero

9:10 am ~ 9:40 am Location Map

Location Map

Exploring how organizations can overcome resistance to change, embrace calculated risk-taking, and create an environment where innovation thrives. The discussion will explore the incentives that empower teams to experiment, the role of collaboration in driving transformation, and how cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit can turn bold ideas into impactful outcomes.

The Garage

Sharzi Mukhri

Senior Manager, ACWA

Robert Hollas

Director, Public Investment Fund

9:40 am ~ 9:55 am Location Map

Location Map

This fireside chat explores how Saudi Arabia is transforming innovation into tangible market success. The discussion focuses on the mechanisms that help innovators and startups move from concept to deployment, including mentorship, technology validation, pilot programs, and industry partnerships. Referees share perspectives on what makes a solution “market ready” and how collaboration with industry players accelerates growth, creates jobs, and drives national impact.

The Garage

Hussam Qasem

General Manager, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology

Khalid Alqahtani

Director, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy

Ionel Nechiti

Investment Director, Aramco Ventures

Manus Ward

Director, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

10:05 am ~ 10:25 am Location Map

Location Map

Explore the importance of achieving the right balance between renewable, conventional, and emerging energy sources to ensure grid stability, efficiency, and long-term resilience. Highlighting how Saudi Arabia’s evolving energy strategy addresses variability, reliability, and system flexibility in line with Vision 2030 goals. The discussion will provide insights into best practices, technologies, and policies that enable a secure and optimized energy mix for sustainable growth.

The Garage

Osamah Alhamadi

Director, Ministry of Energy

11:00 am ~ 11:10 am Location Map

Location Map

This session highlights how cutting-edge academic research is moving beyond the lab to directly support Saudi Arabia’s energy transition. From advanced solar PV and CSP materials to AI-driven forecasting, energy storage innovation, and smart grid algorithms, the focus is on turning frontier science into deployable tools that improve grid efficiency, stability, and resilience. By bridging research and real-world application, these breakthroughs demonstrate how academia can accelerate Saudi Arabia’s path to a balanced, low-carbon energy mix.

The Garage

Hany Al-Ansary

Professor, King Saud University

11:20 am ~ 11:30 am Location Map

Location Map

Saudi Arabia is targeting 50% renewables by 2030. How do we balance the grid at scale with innovation, efficiency, and resilience?

Objective:

To explore how Saudi Arabia can achieve a resilient, efficient, and balanced grid by 2030 through the right energy mix ratios (renewables, storage, gas), while also ensuring power quality and reliability as variable renewables scale. The session will also highlight how innovation reduces the carbon footprint of the grid and overcomes real-world barriers to deployment.

The Garage

Aravinth Rengaraj

Head of Engineering, ACWA

Jinxin Zhong

Chief Technology Officer, Sungrow Power Supply

Fahad Abdulrahman AlOtaibi

Executive Director, Saudi Energy

Samir Rachidi

Director General, Institut de Recherche en Energie Solaire et Energies Nouvelles

Gilles Chaspierre

Senior Expert, Elia Grid International

11:30 am ~ 12:00 pm Location Map

Location Map

This keynote explores how cutting-edge science and technology are accelerating the deployment of renewable energy worldwide. It highlights innovations that not only drive a green transition but also empower communities and foster sustainable development.

The Garage

Chen Ning

Management Committee Member, National Innovation Center Par Excellence

12:00 pm ~ 12:10 pm Location Map

Location Map

A technical keynote exploring cutting-edge photovoltaic technologies and engineering solutions designed to maximize performance and reliability in challenging climates, highlighting innovation at the forefront of the solar industry.  

The Garage

Zi Ouyang

Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, JA Solar PV Technology Co., Ltd.

12:10 pm ~ 12:20 pm Location Map

Location Map

Saudi Arabia is targeting 50% renewables by 2030, with ACWA Power at the center of this transition. Today, the Kingdom’s energy mix is shifting rapidly from fossil-heavy to a balanced portfolio of renewables, storage, and flexible gas. ACWA Power’s growing renewable mandate — in solar, wind, hydrogen, and storage — positions it as a key driver of this change. By deploying large-scale projects and cutting-edge technologies, ACWA is not only expanding renewable capacity but also reducing the national carbon footprint and setting new global benchmarks in energy efficiency and resilience.

The Garage

Yahya AlKhoshi

Head, ACWA

12:20 pm ~ 12:30 pm Location Map

Location Map

An opening session framing energy storage as the backbone of renewable integration and grid stability. It highlights the sector’s role in enabling decarbonization, unlocking flexibility, and driving the energy transition forward

The Garage

Husam Alshareef

Professor, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

2:00 pm ~ 2:10 pm Location Map

Location Map

This project represents ACWA Power’s first MWh-scale pilot deployment of an Iron–Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (IVRFB) within one of its operating commercial plants. The initiative aims to validate the performance, reliability, and cost competitiveness of next-generation flow battery technology under real grid-connected conditions in the Middle East’s high-temperature environment.
The pilot will evaluate key parameters such as energy efficiency, cycle life, thermal management, electrolyte stability, and system integration with renewable generation assets. Results will provide critical insights for future large-scale deployments of long-duration energy storage systems (LDES) to enhance grid flexibility, reduce curtailment, and support ACWA Power’s pathway toward net-zero and dispatchable renewable energy solutions.

The Garage

Issam Amr

Research Science Specialist, Aramco

2:10 pm ~ 2:20 pm Location Map

Location Map

Battery energy storage are increasingly deployed in environments with extreme temperatures, dust, humidity, and demanding operational profiles, which significantly affect performance, safety, and lifetime. This session examines how different battery technologies behave under harsh operating conditions, with emphasis on degradation mechanisms, thermal management, and system design.

The Garage

Husam Alshareef

Professor, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

2:20 pm ~ 2:30 pm Location Map

Location Map

A panel discussion on the need to diversify energy storage technologies beyond lithium-ion. Panelists explore chemistries suited to harsh climates, market-driven technology choices, and the breakthrough innovations required to build a flexible and resilient storage ecosystem.

The Garage

William Tope

Chief Executive Officer, LiNa Energy

Yi Cui

Professor, Stanford University

Majid Keshavarz

Chief Technology Officer, EnerVenue

Paul Smith

Senior Vice President, Energy Dome

Aric Saunders

Executive Vice President, Noon Energy

Daniel Stack

Co-Founder & CEO, Electrified Thermal Solutions

2:30 pm ~ 3:00 pm Location Map

Location Map

A forward-looking showcase of next-generation storage solutions. This session highlights recent advancements in battery technologies and disruptive chemistries that could redefine scalability, cost, and performance across global energy systems.

The Garage

Yi Cui

Professor, Stanford University

3:00 pm ~ 3:10 pm Location Map

Location Map

A thought-provoking debate on the most promising long-duration energy storage technologies. Experts compare lithium-ion, flow batteries, thermal storage, and other solutions, exploring their strengths and trade-offs in shaping the future of the market.

The Garage

Juan Ramón Vaquero

Executive Manager, ACWA

Yakup Koc

Vice President, Ore Energy

Thomas Gebauer

Chief Executive Officer, Redox One

Eren Engur

Managing Director, Malta

John O’Donnell

Founder, Rondo Energy

3:10 pm ~ 3:30 pm Location Map

Location Map

A reflective and forward-looking session that concludes Innovation Days 2026 by summarizing key insights and takeaways from the event. It highlights the collaborative efforts, and sets the stage for next steps in driving innovation and impact across industries. The closing note reinforces the importance of translating ideas into action and inspires participants to continue advancing innovation beyond the event.

The Garage

Thomas Altmann

Executive Vice President, ACWA

3:30 pm ~ 3:40 pm Location Map

Location Map