Sultan Al-Sughair

Saudi Gazette

DHAHRAN — The Korean industrial giant Samsung and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) discussed establishing a Samsung research and development center in Dhahran Techno-Valley (DTV).



High-level delegates from the company led by Samsung Engineering President and CEO Park Ki-Seok were given tours of DTV’s facilities during a recent visit to KFUPM. They also visited a number of Baker Hughes labs located at DTV.



Halim Hamed, DTV assistant supervisor, said establishing DTV was in line with the Kingdom’s goals of developing an integrated innovative program and building a knowledge-based economy. He further said the Kingdom has been developing several systems to establish a knowledge-based economy by encouraging innovation and finding middle ground between higher education and economic policies. The plans also aims to enhance research activities between universities and the industrial sector, intensify research in a wide sector of specialties and provide capital for marketing innovations.



Hamed also said that DTV has established an attractive work environment and has become a gate for national and regional markets as it provides an opportunity to adopt new technologies that fulfill market needs. He added that KFUPM has developed its patents file and is keen to share its experience with its partners at DTV to activate patents and achieve intellectual property and develop technical products.



“There is a unique, tripartite collaborative system gathering KFUPM and Saudi Aramco on one hand and the other DTV companies on the other hand. The importance of DTV comes from its location; being located in gas and oil production areas and near major national companies gives DTV’s development and research centers great opportunities to take advantage of the companies’ experiences,” he was quoted as saying.



“For over 16 years KFUPM has stepped up its approach to research and has increased its research outcome. However, it still works on turning these innovations into marketable products while taking into account that treating the deficiencies in commercialization will speed up the role of innovation in supporting the national economy and will achieve continuous growth.”



Dave Clark, Director of Dhahran Research and Technology Center, Baker Hughes, said the center is searching for drilling technologies, especially for unconventional gas sources. He added that the company spent SR500,000 for development and research purposes in the Middle East in 2012.



“About 56 percent of our employees are Saudis. The Research and Technology Center submitted 130 patents of which 56 patents were approved and 160 scientific articles have been published in different scientific magazines,” said Clark while talking about the center’s achievements.