Under the high-energy pulse of PowerX, a quiet but powerful milestone took shape, marking the emergence of a strategic force poised to transform Lebanon’s sustainability landscape: the Waste Valorization Cluster.
As the country’s first national cluster dedicated to waste valorization gears up for its official launch, PowerX served as a timely platform to introduce the initiative to the broader ecosystem. Though not a formal unveiling, this soft launch, held alongside the debut of the Sustainable Energy Cluster, brought together the cluster’s nucleus members, sector stakeholders, and partners in a symbolic gathering that set a collaborative tone for the road ahead.
The session opened with remarks from Ramy Boujawdeh, Chief Operating Officer at Berytech, who emphasized the power of clustering not just as a framework for partnership, but as a national economic strategy. His message underlined Berytech’s commitment to enabling innovation in waste management, circular economy practices, and sustainable resource use.
“These clusters are not about duplication – they’re about complementing efforts and creating lasting impact.”
Ramy Boujawdeh, COO
Ingrid Salloum, Manager of the Waste Valorization Cluster, followed with a first look into the cluster’s mission: to unlock the untapped potential of waste as a resource and to foster innovation across waste streams, valorization techniques, and end-use markets. Her presentation framed the cluster as an action-oriented platform, one that brings together private sector players, researchers, municipalities, and policy advocates to build scalable, locally grounded solutions.
The moment was crowned with a symbolic gesture: the cluster’s founding members joined Salloum on stage for a group photo, capturing a shared commitment to co-create and co-lead the sector’s next chapter.
Throughout the three-day PowerX summit, the Waste Valorization Cluster maintained an active presence with a dedicated booth in the exhibition area. The booth became a hub for conversation and connection, drawing in startups, technical experts, and public sector representatives alike. It was a living representation of what the cluster intends to build: a connected, collaborative, and forward-looking ecosystem.
The official launch will follow in the coming months, but the message from PowerX was clear: Lebanon is no longer treating waste as a burden, but as an opportunity. The cluster has taken root, and momentum is building.
