Qatar's transition to a knowledge economy took a leap when Qatar PetroleumQatar Petroleum, announced that it will establish a research centre at Qatar Science & Technology ParkQatar Science & Technology Park. The announcement was made at a meeting between HH Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Misnad, Chairperson of Qatar FoundationQatar Foundation, and HE Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry and QPQP Chairman, at Qatar FoundationQatar Foundation.

An agreement establishing the centre was signed by Saad Al Kaabi, QPQP Director of Oil and Gas Ventures, and Dr Tidu Maini, Executive Chairman of Qatar Science & Technology ParkQatar Science & Technology Park. QPQP will invest around $75 million in the research centre in its first five years. Qatar Today speaks to Dr Tidu Maini, to know a little more about this giant step.

|q|QPQP has recently joined QSTPQSTP to invest in the knowledge-based economy. What will QPQP bring to the table in this direction? How important will this new venture be for QSTPQSTP and for QPQP?
|a|It is a true milestone for QSTPQSTP, and indeed for Qatar's knowledge economy, that Qatar PetroleumQatar Petroleum is setting up a collaborative research centre within Qatar FoundationQatar Foundation. There are two important implications of this one, that

Qatar is starting to take strategic control over the technology that drives its economic engine, and two, that infrastructure and support are now helping Qatar companies to become R&D participants instead of just R&D recipients.

In terms of what QPQP will undertake at QSTPQSTP, the focus will be on collaborative research projects with partner universities and companies in prioritised areas such as production technologies, reservoir modelling, and the environment.

In other words, through the science park, QPQP will be actively involved in gaining the cutting-edge technology it needs to be a globally competitive petroleum company.

|q|As the country's economy is pegged on oil and gas, research in these areas are vital. How many of the companies in QSTPQSTP are presently based on this sector of research?
|a|I think the members of QSTPQSTP are an interesting mix because they re.ect between where Qatar is now and where it wants to go.

Currently around a quarter of member companies four out of 15 are oil & gas companies. The other three quarters are in hightechnology areas such as IT, biomedicine, and the environment.

So like the rest of Qatar, QSTPQSTP is .rmly based on the bedrock of the oil and gas industry but is rapidly expanding into knowledge- based sectors.

|q|How important according to you is alternative energy resources and which are the companies that are conducting researches in this area?
|a|Energy as a whole is an important strategic direction for QSTPQSTP. This means taking the best possible advantage of Qatar's hydrocarbon reserves, as well as positioning the country to be an active player on the world stage of alternative energies. Hence we are planning a collaborative reservoir R&D project with QPQP and ShellShell, while also laying out a roadmap for developing a solar energy industry.

|q|What are the areas that QPQP Research will focus on?
|a|The Qatar Petroleum Research & Technology Centre aims to take an active role in de.ning and conducting research projects that contribute to QPQP's operational performance.

It will initially address upstream oil and gas operations, carbonate reservoir research and the environment.

Regarding production technologies, the centre will focus on measurement, corrosion control and separation of liquids and gases. It will also focus on environmental research and technologies and carbonate reservoir studies/ research. In collaboration with industry and academic institutions, QPQP's R&T Centre will conduct carbonate reservoir study and investigation, including reservoir characterisation, integrated reservoir modelling/ simulation and pore scale physics. The carbonate research programmes will provide opportunities for Qatari PhD candidates to contribute to and build their knowledge of this area of study. The centre will also address environmental impact and other environmental challenges facing QPQP and the oil and gas industry through research and technology.

QPQP estimates it will invest around $75 million in the research centre in its first fiveve years. Scheduled to open in the second half of 2008, it will be based in Qatar Science & Technology ParkQatar Science & Technology Park's 1000 square meters of.ces, research and training facilities. When fully operational, the centre will have around 15 staff.

|q|How does the centre accommodate students into its research programme? Does QPQP have any such programme in place focusing on the education sector?
|a|QSTPQSTP's integration with Qatar's university system is absolutely critical.

Indeed we couldn't exist without the top international universities, and their research programmes, that Qatar FoundationQatar Foundation has brought here. The relationship is symbiotic: the science park provides industry partners for university R&D projects, as well as employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for their graduates. The universities provide companies at QSTPQSTP with highly educated young scientists and engineers, as well as cutting-edge innovations from the lab bench.

|q|What are the further plans for QSTPQSTP?
|a|In the immediate future, QSTPQSTP will be focusing on implementing its strategic focus on energy, health science and the environment.

This means bolstering relationships with our existing and further corporate partners, as well as establishing projects that we are leading ourselves. We expect the pace of activities to pick up this summer as our new buildings open. We will ramp up investments in targeted technology ventures, and our business incubator will be ready to open its doors.

© Qatar Today 2008

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