EGA to share its blueprint for innovative organisations with the Government and private sectors

• EGA has systematically engaged employees in continuous improvement since 1981
• EGA to sponsor think tank at MEED’s Innovation Live! Initiative which aims to develop policy recommendations that encourage innovation throughout organisations

United Arab Emirates, 21 June 2017: Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, is to share the secrets of the success of its long-running programme to engage employees in continuous improvement with Government and private sector organisations developing policy recommendations to encourage innovation in the UAE.

EGA is sponsoring the Innovation 360 think tank at MEED’s Innovation Live! Initiative. Over the coming months the think tank will bring together senior figures from Government, departments, corporates and SMEs to devise ways to unlock the innovation potential of the UAE’s workforce.

Creating an innovation rich, knowledge-based economy is an objective of UAE Vision 2021.

EGA has systematically engaged its workforce in innovation and continuous improvement since 1981.

EGA’s employee suggestion scheme, which began in the early 1980s, is a global benchmark. EGA’s employees at all levels of the organisation generate around 3,000 actionable ideas for improvement each month, delivering millions of dollars in cost savings. The programme is a core part of EGA’s strategy to sustain and extend its global competitiveness.

EGA has also focused on technology development for over 25 years. EGA has used its own technology, developed in the UAE, for every expansion since the 1990s. Last year EGA became the first UAE industrial company to licence its core industrial process technology internationally.

EGA’s latest technology, DX+ Ultra has more than double the productivity of the company’s original D18 technology developed in 1990. Energy consumed during the smelting process is amongst the lowest in the global industry.

Abdulla Kalban, EGA’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Innovation and continuous improvement has driven EGA’s competitiveness for decades. We strongly support the UAE Vision 2021 goal of creating an innovative, knowledge-based economy so want to share with Government and companies our experience of unlocking knowledge from our entire organisation and turning it into commercial success. We also want to learn from the experience of others.” .

Other think tanks at MEED’s Innovation Live! Initiative will focus on other critical policy areas from energy to waste management and entrepreneurship.