Steel Wood Industries, Dubai Branch, MP Ghassan Afiouni Honored the 1st Innovation Sustainability Award as the Founder of the University of South Florida (USF) Alumni Chapter in the GCC

Under the patronage of His Excellency, Eng. Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy in United Arab Emirates; Ghassan Farouk Afiouni, the Founding Sponsor of USF Alumni Chapter in the GCC and Managing Partner of Steel Wood Industries received the USF World Award for Innovative Sustainability. MP, Ghassan Farouk Afiouni's vision is aligned with the USF's second strategic goal of "high-impact research and innovation to change lives, improve health, and foster sustainable development and positive societal change". The award was presented by USF Provost, Dr. Ralph Wilcox and Dr. Roger Brindley the USF System Vice President, USF World.

Ghassan Farouk Afiouni, a USF alum who focused on research in physical and environmental chemistry, has been leading Steel Wood Industries since 2012 who devoted career on sustainable research since 1997.  As the first and only wood manufacturing facility in the GCC and Arabian Middle East, Steel Wood Industries thrives on using sustainable renewable resources as a raw material from recycled wooden products without cutting a single tree. In a region of the world where natural wood is scarce, Steel Wood offers the profound alternative of reusing wood to promote environmental sustainability, making Steel Wood Industries "The Miracle of the Desert".

Within the event, MP Ghassan Farouk Afiouni was also recognized as well for his tremendous collaboration in research and development on various environmental friendly innovations, including but not limited to research on water remediation, environmental friendly cooling systems, breakthroughs into the plastic industry, and many other innovations that can add up to a minimal of 80 innovations and patents should he apply.

The Alumni get together was an outstanding experience gathering USF Alums from all around the GCC region, and MP Ghassan Farouk Afiouni promises to endorse more of such events as an essential support for sharing and widening ones thought through catching up with graduates of different professions, different careers and different visions, all to one goal: Education and Regional Technology. "It is time to link Industry in the Region to Educational Institutions by using the bridge of Research and Development," said Mr. Afiouni, "the region is thirsty for specific and renewable resources, products and thus technologies to ensure a prominent future for generation in the Middle East'" he added.  As MP Ghassan Farouk Afiouni always believes, "Daring ideas are like chessmen moving forward".