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The Dow Chemical Company is to open a research and development centre in the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology next year that will initially focus on water conservation technology.
The chemical giant, that produces raw materials for construction products in its Dow Advanced Materials Division, is aiming to leverage the resources of the Thuwal, Saudi Arabia-based graduate institution as a base for its ongoing research.
“We are starting with dedicated research into water, which is important for the region, and we’ve been supplying water technology for years,” said Ilham Kadri, general manager of the Middle East and Africa for the Advanced Materials Division, in a CW interview yesterday. “We’re investing in the University and will be coordinating with the other faculties.”
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Dow Advanced Chemicals is one of the major suppliers of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses targeted at high-growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. It has a substantial operation in the Middle East, with Egypt and north African states particular areas of growth along with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Kadri says the company has an “innovation pipeline” of more than 500 projects, and that its annual patent disclosures have more than tripled in five years, which is partly the spur for the link-up with KAUST, one of the leading institutions in the country for energy, environmental and utilities research.
She adds that as the construction market improves, contractors will be more receptive to new ideas in the products used to build structures.”The market has picked up, as projects have restarted and contractors can move into another phase of innovation,” she said. “Next year they are expecting to be at least as good as 2010.
“What’s important is that the innovation doesn’t come from over-engineering. In the past perhaps companies would drop technology from the US and ask local contractors to make use of it.
By contrast, she said Dow products such as the additives used in paint help to bring a higher level of sustainable properties of the end product. The paint manufacturer client can “essentially do more with less”.
She added that there was no confirmed date for the opening of the research centre, except that it would be operational next year.
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