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Industry, academia and government decision makers attended 3rdGulf Intelligence Qatar Energy R&D Forum at Qatar University Research Complex on April 28
Doha - The 3rd Gulf Intelligence Qatar Energy R&D Forum brought together senior decision makers from academia, government, and industry to explore ways of bolstering national capacity to protectcritical energy infrastructure from cyber threats as part of a wider debate on how toadvance Qatar's National Research Grand Challenges of energy security, water security andcyber security.
"In the cyber realm, partnerships between the private and public sectors are the key to effectively defending our systems. I encourage everyone to support the sharing of information and ideas that can be used to defend our assets against cyber-attacks, so that we can deliver the energy the world needs in a safe, reliable and responsible manner," said Alistair Routledge, President and General Manager for ExxonMobil Qatar. "At ExxonMobil, we relentlessly work to enhance our technical controls and user awareness, but shared cyber intelligence is critical to being able to block cyber-attacks."
Establishing a world-class R&D hub is anextension of Qatar's existing capabilities in the energy sector, and initiatives such as the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) and the Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS) are testament to the government's commitment of reducing the country's dependence on hydrocarbons over the next two decades as part of its Vision 2030. Innovation and R&D will enable Qatar to transform into a knowledge economy, attract foreign investment, and gain competitive advantages.
However, to advance Qatar's goals, further strides need to be made oncross-industry collaboration and building partnerships between national and international energy stakeholders.The Qatar Energy R&D forumshed light on areas of collaboration within the energy industry in order to meet the government'svision. Discussions focused on water solutions, developing a global R&D hub in Qatar, the role of crossover technology in the energy sector, education reform, and cyber security.
Addressing Qatar Shell's role in this initiative, Youssif Saleh, General Manager of Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre (QSRTC) said, "Qatar Shell's mission is to help foster a knowledge-based economy in Qatar and to develop solutions that address the country's research challenges. We recognize that we must collaborate with academia, government and other industry members to exchange ideas openly. We are delighted to be involved with the R&D Forum, which plays a vital role in bringing key stakeholders together in support of Qatar's National Research Strategy."
The Gulf Intelligence Middle East Energy Series was founded in 2009 to facilitate a robust and intimate exchange of knowledge between the principal stakeholders responsible for the stewardship of the regional energy industry, and in support of this objective the Qatar Energy R&D Forum is the latest addition to the Series, which has been created to advance the energy industry's contribution to Qatar's 2030 Vision of establishing a knowledge economy and a global center for research and development.
The forum was hosted by Qatar University with ORYX GTL, Qatar Shell, and Total as Premier Partners for the forum.
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About Forum Producer - TheGulfIntelligence.Com
Gulf Intelligence facilitates knowledge exchange between stakeholders. The strategic communications and public affairs consultancy produces boutique industry forums and roundtable discussion series globally with an architecture that ensures all participants engage in a dynamic and competitive exchange of knowledge towards a shared goal. The Dubai-based firm assists Middle East companies and government entities to tap dormant intelligence and create knowledge reservoirs that can be utilized to bolster their profiles, to communicate with stakeholders and to overwhelm competitors.
For further details, please contact:
Kathryn Stetz
PR Associate
Gulf Intelligence FZ LLC
Tel: +971 4 4508980
Mob: +971 55 7020034
Email: kathrynstetz@gulfintelligence.com
© Press Release 2015
