Omantel, Oman’s first telecommunications company, has partnered with Omani Startup Innotech to boost fish populations by creating artificial reefs using 3D printing technology.
Omantel and Innotech will 3D print artificial reefs in concrete. These reefs will provide numerous benefits and are extremely important in marine ecosystems. The collaboration will provide a substrate for marine organisms to settle and grow.
Artificial Reefs using 3D Printing
3D concrete printing technology allows for the design and customisation of reef structures, including complex features such as crevices, caves, and ledges, which benefit fish populations by providing shelter and feeding grounds. The collaboration will include the printing and deployment of eight 3D concrete units in a location to be determined later within Muscat.
The new initiative also aims to increase fishery yields while promoting sustainable fishing practices, marine biodiversity, and the local economy.
The agreement was signed at Omantel’s headquarters by Eng. Aladdin Bait Fadhil, CCO, and Othman Al Mandhari, Founder and CEO of Innotech.
“The depleting fish populations in the sea are a matter of concern all over the world. At Omantel, we are acutely aware of this situation and have therefore decided to partner with Innotech to support this initiative to boost fish yield by creating artificial reefs. Innotech’s 3D concrete printing solution offers unprecedented benefits and we are confident that mutual concerted efforts from both sides will help us achieve the goals we have set. Supporting environmental initiatives has always been a main driver to our CSR strategy.”
– Eng. Aladdin Bait Fadhil, CCO, Omantel
Omantel has identified Innotech as the ideal partner for this mission. Innotech is a 100% Omani Startup that hires Omani graduates to work on modern technologies. All employees are Omani engineers from Oman’s largest universities and colleges. The Startup created its own 3D printer, the first locally manufactured 3D concrete printer, and received a patent for it.
Artificial reefs can be used to restore and conserve coral reefs. Researchers can investigate various marine organised settlements and growth patterns to assess their overall ecological impact. Successful implementation of artificial reefs using 3D concrete printing technology necessitates careful design, material composition, and ongoing controls, resulting in economic opportunities for local communities, including tourism businesses.
Such projects have ben undertaken across the globe and one such example is in India where a 17-year old teen from Mumbai designed and patented a system of interlocking blocks, assembling them along the Pondicherry coast to create India’s first 3D printed modular artificial reef.
3D concrete construction printing, also known as 3D concrete printing, is a type of additive manufacturing that allows for the construction of buildings or building components in completely new shapes that were previously impossible to achieve using traditional concrete moulds.
