The Concept, a UAE-based product development and design company that develops sustainable solutions for clients using a combination of hardware and technology innovation, and part of Hub71’s community, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, to research and develop sustainable inflight technology to monitor food consumption. This is in line with the airline’s sustainability efforts and the drive for food waste reduction onboard its flights.
As part of the partnership, Etihad will be providing industry expertise and access to its catering facilities and flights to support The Concept with the development of the NEOS Fly+, an inflight smart tray. The NEOS Fly+ is the world’s first IoT based in-flight technology for trays. With the aim of providing data to reduce an industry wide food waste problem estimated to be around USD 3.9 billion per year, the technology will be developed to act as a data collection hub for airlines. The data will show passengers’ food consumption behaviour which will help the airline to understand food preferences and how it may be possible to reduce food waste.
The NEOS Fly+ tray is made from sustainable materials including PET bottles previously used on board and then recycled.
NEOS Fly+ will allow Etihad to track consumption of food items served on board its flights with detailed information around components and portions of the meal that are not consumed. The anonymised data collated will be used to highlight food consumption and wastage patterns across the network, and will help to reduce food waste, improve meal planning and reduce operating costs.
The collaboration between The Concept and Etihad Airways follows the announcement of Etihad as the official airline partner of Hub71, which enables Etihad to tap into the global tech ecosystem’s fast-growing community and global network of partners to engage with its startup founders and entrepreneurs to launch innovation-driven activities. The airline also aims to explore mentorship opportunities, workshops, and community events, and is one of the major corporations contributing to Hub71’s The Outliers, a challenge that gives startups and MSMEs the opportunity to solve important challenges.
Yadhushan Mahendran, Chief Executive Officer, The Concept : “We look forward to this innovative partnership with Etihad Airways that will enable us to develop NEOS Fly+ locally in the UAE and is yet another testimony to how companies in the UAE are aligned together towards creating a sustainable impact globally”
Frank Meyer, Chief Digital Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “This research and development partnership reinforces Etihad’s commitment to sustainability and our reputation for innovation. We look forward to working with The Concept on the development of the NEOS Fly+ which could support our efforts to reduce food wastage. We are proud to partner with a homegrown, locally based start-up, to push the sustainability agenda forward.”
Hub71, named after the UAE’s formation in 1971, is a tech ecosystem located in the heart of Abu Dhabi that brings together several key elements for startup success: access to capital, access to market opportunities, and a favorable business environment. For more information visit www.hub71.com and follow us on @Hub71AD #Hub71.