ABU DHABI, Khalifa University of Science and Technology announced that it will host Siemens Energy’s Abu Dhabi Innovation Centre at its Sas Al Nakhl Campus.
The move will leverage both partners’ strengths to accelerate the journey to Net Zero, with technology and research co-creation opportunities, knowledge transfer, development of local capabilities, as well as employment opportunities.
On the sidelines of Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2022, Khalifa University and Siemens Energy signed a “teaming agreement” providing a dedicated location for the Innovation Centre at the university’s campus located near the Maqta Bridge, which connects Abu Dhabi Island to the mainland.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, and Dr. Fahad Al Yafei, Chief Technology Officer, Siemens Energy Abu Dhabi Innovation Centre.
Professor Sir John O’Reilly, President, Khalifa University; Homaid Al Shimmari, Member of The Board of Trustees of Khalifa University; Vinod Philip, Executive Board Member, Siemens Energy; and Dietmar Siersdorfer, Managing Director, Middle East and UAE, Siemens Energy, were also present on the occasion.
Khalifa University provides a world-class faculty and state-of-the-art research facilities, enabling the Innovation Centre’s work on co-creating decarbonisation technologies in the areas of Power-to-X, Decarbonised Heat and Industrial Processes, Condition-based Service Interventions, Energy Storage and Fuel Cells, and Blockchain for Energy applications, among others.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Al Hammadi said, “The hosting of Siemens Energy’s Abu Dhabi Innovation Centre at our Sas Al Nakhl Campus reflects further strengthening of our long-standing legacy collaboration with Siemens Energy since 2011, especially in innovation, research and academics. We believe the Abu Dhabi Innovation Centre that will offer access to Siemens Energy’s global technology hubs infrastructure will also pave the way for productive collaborative outcomes in energy storage, fuel cells, blockchain and industrial processes, as well as human capital development for the UAE.”
For his part, Dr. Alyafei commented, “To accelerate decarbonisation and reach net zero faster, we need to leverage partnership and innovation. Locating this Innovation Centre at Khalifa University’s campus will prove to be mutually beneficial. As well as helping to develop local capabilities, locating the innovation at Khalifa University’s campus will provide opportunities for co-research, internships and training, and for Siemens Energy experts to be visiting lecturers.”
The Innovation Centre will strengthen specialised skill sets and create 75 high-skilled jobs in Abu Dhabi by 2025. Siemens Energy will also offer at least six internships annually to students from Abu Dhabi universities, of which 50 percent of the interns will be Emiratis.
It will also act as an incubator for new technologies, bringing together customers, industrial partners, academia, and research centres, to accelerate the commercialization of innovative solutions driving the energy transition.
Source: Emirates News Agency