• The collaboration will establish a fully compliant origin-to-destination pharma air corridor between Abu Dhabi and BrusselsÌę
• The collaboration enhances Abu Dhabi’s positioning as a world-class pharma logistics hub and a destination focused on global welfareÌę
• Led by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the Hope Consortium, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, and Abu Dhabi Airports Company collaborate to strengthen the emirate positioning as a life science hubÌę
• “Pharma Logistics Masterclass” hosted by Khalifa University to take place in Abu Dhabi in September 2022

Abu Dhabi has set its sights on Belgium, as a leading global pharmaceutical hub, to establish a global distribution corridor to serve the world in vaccine delivery and future life science needs. The collaboration builds on the capabilities of Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector as a leading life sciences hub and the efforts of the HOPE Consortium in providing vaccine solutions for the world.

This initiative entailed a delegation visit from Belgium to Abu Dhabi, hosted by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH). The visit saw the signing of two declarations of collaboration between Belgium and Abu Dhabi, Witnessed by H.E. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of DoH and H.E. Peter CLAES, Ambassador of Belgium in the UAE.

The first agreement was between the HOPE Consortium, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), Brussels Airport Company and Pharma.Aero. Led by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate, the collaboration aims to establish a fully compliant origin-to-destination pharma air corridor between Abu Dhabi and Brussels Airports. The dedicated pharma trade lane will unite key compliant and sector certified supply chain stakeholders, including forwarders and ground handling agents.

“Our goal is to enhance Abu Dhabi’s positioning as a world-class pharma logistics hub and a destination focused on global welfare by investing in strategic public and private sector collaborations, and the allocation of expertise and resources,” commented H.E. Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi.

Earlier this year, a delegation from the HOPE Consortium met with pharmaceutical industry stakeholders in Brussels to showcase Abu Dhabi’s global vaccine distribution success. Thanks to its network of partners, the HOPE Consortium has handled over 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, contributing to vaccination programmes in over 40 global destinations.

Western Europe currently ranks as the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical export market with a total export value of nearly EUR 42 billion in 2020. “, Brussels Airport is the leading hub serving the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry in Europe with over 750 million vaccines handled at the airport, serving 60 destinations worldwide” said Nathan De Valck, head of cargo at Brussels Airport.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Chairman of the HOPE Consortium Executive Committee and Group CEO of AD Ports Group, added that the proactive sharing of knowledge and expertise among stakeholders remains vital to the partnership’s ongoing success. “The HOPE Consortium, along with our partners, has developed one of the most extensive end-to-end vaccine supply chains, capable of delivering millions of Covid-19 vaccines anywhere around the globe.”

“Working together, we have successfully resolved some of the major challenges associated with vaccine logistics, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to showcase our capabilities and pass on our learnings to students attending the Masterclass. At the same time, we look forward to further strengthening the relationship between Abu Dhabi and Belgium through the establishment of a future pharma corridor, benefiting the region and the world,” said Capt. Al Shamsi.

The development of the dedicated Pharma Air Corridor will leverage API-IoT devices-webforms-internet shared with all relevant stakeholders to monitor pharma shipments closely. “Our relationship with Etihad Cargo and the HOPE Consortium sharing best practices makes us confident that the corridor will promote commitment for transparency with customers and stakeholders.” said Nathan De Valck who also serves as Chairman of Pharma.Aero.

The other declaration of collaboration was signed by the HOPE Consortium, Pharma.Aero, Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the University of Antwerp to host the second edition of the “Pharma Logistics Masterclass”, a course focused on critical challenges and developments in pharma supply chains and logistics, by Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi from 5th to 9th September 2022.

“We are excited to bring the second Masterclass to Abu Dhabi. The HOPE Consortium partners and Khalifa University have extended great support and offer a unique platform to be shared with the participants of the next Masterclass,” said Prof. Dr. Roel Gevaers, University of Antwerp and Chair of the organizing Committee.

Frank Van Gelder, Secretary General of Pharma.Aero and co-chair of the “Pharma Logistics Masterclass”, continues: “Pharma.Aero’s vision and mission underline fostering collaboration. By continuously giving insights and sharing the latest changes between pharmaceutical companies, industry stakeholders and the academic world, the overall knowledge and the quality of the pharma and MedTec supply chain improves. Bringing the 2nd edition of the masterclass to Abu Dhabi and bringing academics and business again together, contributes significantly in achieving this vision.”

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “We are pleased to bring the next Pharma.Aero Logistics Masterclass to Abu Dhabi in September 2022, in collaboration with our partners. Khalifa University has the necessary expertise, especially through our Digital Supply Chain and Operations Management (DSOM) research center, which provides real-world, cutting edge work on the digital transactions, management, and optimization in multiple domains such as maritime logistics, production lines, and healthcare delivery systems. We believe the Masterclass in Abu Dhabi will further affirm our strong commitment to delivering top quality academic and professional programs that benefit students and youth interested in charting their future career in this area.”

The agreement was welcomed by Dr.ÌęGhaliaÌęAliÌęAl Humaidan, ChargĂ© d’affaires of theÌęUAEÌęMission to Belgium, who said: “The strategic ties between the UAE and Belgium are vital in supporting trade routes between the Middle East and Europe. This commitment further expands the effectiveness of a collaborative approach to addressing pharmaceutical demand flows between the two regions.”

H.E. Peter Claes, Belgium’s Ambassador to the UAE, added: “Abu Dhabi has developed into a world hub for the distribution of pharmaceuticals. The emirate has done so in close cooperation and synergy with Brussels Airport. I am therefore pleased to know that at the invitation of Pharma.Aero and its partners, distinguished executives of the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, Etihad and Rafed participated in the 1st International Masterclass on Pharma Logistics, held in Antwerp in September.”

Staff Report
8 December 2021

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Project in Collaboration with Abu Dhabi Municipality for Testing of Five Different Asphalt Mixtures in Response to UAE’s Surface Transport Master Plan 2030 Ìę

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Khalifa University has announced that a team of researchers at its Department of Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering have developed a new asphalt mixture with recycled tires that can reduce the pavement’s environmental footprint and cost. This asphalt is already laid on a stretch of two kilometers of the traffic-heavy E30 Abu Dhabi–Al Ain Truck Road, for preliminary trials.

With the challenges posed by climate change and a rapidly growing population, there is a pressing need for more economically and environmentally sustainable asphalt mixtures that can withstand rising temperatures and a higher number of vehicles on the road. The energy required to extract, produce, and refine paving materials is a huge contributor to the carbon footprint of road construction.

The project aims to replace the proprietary and costly synthetic polymers used to produce Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB) – a basic component of asphalt pavements used around the world today – with ‘crumb rubber’, which consists of rubber particles produced by grinding end-of-life tires. Only superior quality polymers are utilized for tire production, hence, despite its much lower cost, the resulting bitumen, called Crumb Rubber Modified Bitumen (CRMB), has mechanical characteristics similar to, if not better, than PMBs.Ìę

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “Sustainability is a top priority for Abu Dhabi. We, at Khalifa University, are committed to supporting Abu Dhabi’s goal to reduce its carbon emissions, protect its environmental resources. Building sustainable pavements is an important way to achieve this goal, as it will minimize the use of natural resources, reduce energy consumption, cut greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, while improving road performance and supporting Tadweer’s goal to recycle 75% of the waste produced in Abu Dhabi by 2021.”Ìę

Eng. Issa Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Executive Director, Infrastructure and Municipal Assets Sector, Abu Dhabi Municipality, said that this project comes under the existing partnership framework with Khalifa University, and its first fruits were the establishment of the National Center for Infrastructure Research. The NCIR aims to achieve the vision of sustainable development and supports innovation initiatives that provide environment-friendly solutions, based on scientific foundations and economic feasibility. Al-Mazrouei pointed to the launch of a new joint study with Khalifa University for updating and developing specifications and design standards for the asphalt mixtures that are suitable to the local environmental conditions and the natural materials available in the UAE.

The joint project team is led by Dr. Tom Skarpas, Professor and Chair, Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Michele Lanotte, Assistant Professor, Dr. Jamal Elzarif and Eng. Saleh Hamed Al Jufri from the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Infrastructure and Assets.

Dr. Lanotte explained that about 650 tires can be recycled to build one km of single lane of a roadway. This technology can contribute significantly to the reduction of the UAE stockpiles of scrap tires, reduce the energy footprint of Abu Dhabi’s pavement and improve the performance of the local road network. Hence, pavements constructed with CRMBs are not only financially attractive but also environmentally-friendly since they provide a solution to the critical problem of tire disposal.

The project was initiated in response to the UAE’s Surface Transport Master Plan 2030, which aims to create conditions for sustainable road infrastructure development by using resources responsibly, minimizing pollution and preserving Abu Dhabi’s unique environment.Ìę

Five different asphalt pavements were laid between October and November 2019 on the E30 Highway, with the support of the industrial partners Richmond Petroleum, Tarmac-Colas and Al Sahraa Group. Two asphalt mixes were designed with CRMB, two with a commercially available PMB and one with a traditional unmodified bitumen.

In Abu Dhabi alone, more than 7,000 tons of used tires were produced in 2018 and only partially recycled for the local rubber industry, which has necessitated a quick management solution to avoid the creation of an unmanageable amount of rubber waste.Ìę

During construction, the field crews noticed that both asphalt mixtures containing CRMB exhibited greater ease of compaction compared to the other mixtures, which resulted in less or no use of some of the field compaction equipment that was instead necessary for the other mixtures. “The project outcomes are extremely optimistic since they lead to positive impacts on the work crews as well as the total cost and time of construction,” Dr. Skarpas said.Ìę

The asphalt mixtures were sampled during construction and are currently under testing and evaluation at the Khalifa University Infrastructural Materials Laboratory. Various aspects of the mechanical response of CRMB-based asphalt mixtures like resistance to permanent deformation and fatigue cracking are currently being evaluated through the lab’s state-of-the-art testing equipment. The goal is to compare the response of CRMB asphalt mixtures to that of other locally available and currently utilized asphalt mixtures.Ìę

The performance of the asphalt in the E30 highway will also be monitored under traffic conditions over the next few years under the joint supervision of the Abu Dhabi Municipality and the Khalifa University Pavement Engineering team. The outcome of this joint initiative will be the development of specifications for the Municipality for the implementation of the CRMB asphalt throughout Abu Dhabi.Ìę

By leveraging a major waste stream in Abu Dhabi, Khalifa University is helping to prevent tires from piling up in landfills, while creating a high-value technology for more sustainable, economically viable roads in the UAE.

Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
4 October 2021

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The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted everything from the largest societies on earth to the smallest microalgae in the sea.

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The oceans directly influence life on Earth, regulating the global climate, stimulating rainfall, and providing 50 to 80 percent of the Earth’s oxygen. Any change on the surface of the ocean has a direct effect on life on this planet. They also constitute the Earth’s largest source of food, with more than 40 percent of the world’s population relying on the oceans as their primary food source. As the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has shown a pronounced effect on the environment in general, recognizing its effect on the oceans is paramount.

Dr. Maryam R. Al Shehhi, Assistant Professor in the Khalifa University Department of Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering, investigated the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the oceans with Dr. Yarjan Abdul Samad from the University of Cambridge. They published their findings recently in the journal .

“The global Covid-19 lockdowns resulted in the closure of the largest industries in the world for a period of two months,” explained Dr. Al Shehhi. “This was enough to cause a seven percent drop in anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. While there have already been investigations into the effect of the pandemic on the atmosphere, the question remains: what happened to the oceans?”

One way of determining the state of the oceans is to consider their productivity. Ocean productivity represents the health of the marine ecosystem and the carbon cycle and largely refers to the production of organic matter by phytoplankton suspended in the ocean. Phytoplankton harvest light to convert inorganic carbon to organic carbon and then supply this organic carbon to organisms that obtain their energy from the respiration of organic matter, such as zooplankton, fish, and marine mammals.

“Productivity is commonly estimated as the plant biomass in the ocean, and chlorophyll-a is one of the key metric indicators,” explained Dr. Al Shehhi. “Associated with ocean productivity are the sea temperature and the carbon cycle.

“Big industries, such as the automobile factories, textile and clothing factories, and maritime fishing and shipping operations, were on hold for a period of two months, with many fishing vehicles unable to leave port and a substantially reduced demand for many seafood products,” explained Dr. Al Shehhi. “These human stressors have been seriously affecting the ocean for several decades, causing a high sea surface temperature, ocean acidification, and increasing ultraviolet radiation. If these industries continue to operate as they have, the sea surface temperature is projected to rise by 2.8°C by 2100, which would have devastating effects on the planet.”

However, during the pandemic lockdowns, there was a seven percent reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions from cumulative human activity. The researchers considered how this reduction could have affected the oceans by examining the levels of chlorophyll-a (chl-a) before and during the pandemic using satellite images. Their results show a reduction in chl-a concentrations in the global oceans, particularly in the coastal regions.

Satellite images can be used to measure the concentration of chl-a, the pigment used by phytoplankton to photosynthesize. The levels of chl-a in the surface water are an indication of how much primary production is occurring in the surface of the ocean. Since phytoplankton need nutrients for photosynthesis and growth, chlorophyll concentrations are highest where nutrient concentrations are highest. Currents in the ocean can bring nutrient rich water from the deep up to the surface, which means there is a correlation between water temperature and chlorophyll concentration. Cold water generally has higher chl-a concentrations than warm water because it contains nutrients that have recently been carried up from the deep ocean. The cold, nutrient-rich waters of the North Atlantic are more productive than the warmer, tropical waters found around the equator.

Dr. Al Shehhi and Dr. Samad investigated the chl-a concentrations in eleven regions, selected for the presence of either high industrial activity or large population: Alaska, Northeast United States, Southeast USA, Pacific Ocean, Southeast America, China and South Korea, Middle East, North Europe, Northwest Africa, Southwest Africa, and Southeast Australia.

“We saw a prominent decrease off Alaska, Northern Europe, South China and the Southeast USA,” said Dr. Al Shehhi. “CO₂ emissions from South China dropped by 123 tonnes during the pandemic, and this resulted in a five percent drop in chl-a in the surrounding ocean. This drop in chl-a could be caused by the reduction of the CO2 emissions during the pandemic period because phytoplankton biomass takes up the atmospheric CO2 during photosynthesis.”

The reduction in atmospheric CO2 emissions has also affected the carbon cycle in the ocean. The ratio of inorganic carbon to organic carbon has decreased, indicating a reduction in CO2 uptake. In Europe, the reported reduction of atmospheric CO2 emissions by 24 percent may have caused a direct 75 percent decrease in the carbon ratio of the seas in northern Europe. The coastal areas off Alaska and in the North Indian Ocean and Eastern Pacific also saw a cooling response of 0.5°C following the reduction in CO2 emissions. As the water there had previously been warmed by global climate change, this cooling can be attributed to a reduction in emissions.

“A lower surface temperature can improve the uptake of atmospheric CO2 by the ocean and can enhance the productivity process,” explained Dr. Al Shehhi. “Therefore, the reduction in CO2 emissions doesn’t have a direct effect on chl-a and surface temperature, rather, it is related to both of them.”

The researchers explained that while carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is needed by phytoplankton to photosynthesize, during this process, the water in the oceans becomes warmer, more acidic, and less oxygenated.

“If anthropogenic pressures return to normal, CO2 emissions will return to normal,” said Dr. Al Shehhi. “This will continue to contribute to global warming and affect the oceans by causing acidification, stratification, increasing sea temperature and increasing productivity. Instead, maintaining global activities at the levels observed during the pandemic period could help to recover the oceans.”

Jade Sterling
Science Writer
18 May 2021

The post Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Oceans appeared first on Khalifa University.