ExxonMobil, Total and ConocoPhilips have hailed the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) as potentially a world-class hub that will promote research and development for the growth of knowledge and industries.
Rex W Tillerson, chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, lauded Qatar’s emergence as a science and technology hub with the inauguration of QSTP.
“ExxonMobil affiliates have enjoyed associations and partnerships with the State of Qatar dating back to 1935. We have established ExxonMobil Research Qatar at QSTP to conduct environmental management and LNG safety research that will be applicable to many of the country’s industry-leading projects,” said Tillerson.  
“We share the Qatar Foundation’s objectives to advance science and technology through research and development and we wish to see QSTP realise its potential in becoming a world-class R&D centre. The research that emanates from QSTP and ExxonMobil will become part of the solution to develop economically and environmentally viable energy sources and we are very excited to be part of this new endeavour,” Tillerson added.
Tillerson concluded: “We acknowledge the Qatari leadership in launching the Qatar National Vision 2030. We believe the four pillars included in the National Vision will help with achieving sustainable development for generations to come. ExxonMobil is honoured to work closely with the respective authorities in Qatar to play a key role in the development of the strategy needed to implement the National Vision.”
Michael J Dolan, senior vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation, said, “ExxonMobil is proud to be working with the Qatar Foundation and to be an anchor partner organisation in the QSTP, as we work together to build a world-class centre of educational and scientific excellence, while simultaneously conducting research in areas of common interest to the State of Qatar and ExxonMobil.”

Dynamic growth
Christophe de Margerie, CEO of Total, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies and a world-class chemicals manufacturer, reflected on Qatar’s dynamic growth. 
“Qatar has shown in the past that it was able to stick to the most ambitious strategies; I expect to see QSTP become an international technological and scientific cluster in the years to come,” said de Margerie.
“Total has had a very long relationship with Qatar, with a presence in the country for more than 70 years. We have successfully supported many pioneer Qatar initiatives in Exploration, LNG and Petrochemicals. In 2005, when the Qatar Foundation came up with the QSTP initiative, we were one of the very first companies to support the initiative.”
De Margerie concluded: “We expect our R&D activities to address practical issues of importance to Qatar, not only in the energy sector but also in other key subjects for Qatar, such as education and environment.  As an illustration we wish to develop our position as an Air Quality Competence Centre for Qatar and start new initiatives around renewable energies with QSTP.  We are convinced that such successful initiatives will benefit both Qatar and Total.”

Tremendous opportunities
Stephen Brand, senior vice president, technology, for ConocoPhillips, which is one of 21 organisations with research and development centres at QSTP, says people will be attracted by the tremendous opportunities that will exist in QSTP.
“QSTP will bring together a significant amount of talent.  It’s going to attract some of the best people who will put that talent and expertise to work alongside various companies, agencies and academia,” said Brand.
ConocoPhillips is an integrated petroleum company with interests around the world. The Global Water Sustainability Centre (GWSC) it has established within QSTP is a collaboration between ConocoPhillips and GE Water & Process Technologies.  The Centre will examine ways of treating and recycling produced water from oil production and utilised in refining operations, as well as other topics relating to industrial and municipal water sustainability.
The GWSC vision is to become a centre of excellence for key water-related technologies in the petroleum and water industries.
“The GWSC will also contain a visitor centre which will enhance awareness of water conservation in the State of Qatar,” says Brand.
“We plan to focus solely on water technology and really drill down to capture the opportunities that are critical to minimising the impact of water usage in the world,” says Brand.
Approximately 75 per cent of the projects will focus on global water issues related to the petroleum and petrochemical sector, and 25 per cent will focus on local water conservation and municipal issues for the State of Qatar.
Brand says QSTP will help develop new technologies that can make a difference to the future generations.
“At QSTP, we’ll be building innovation capability together with other companies, government entities, as well as academia. What’s really important is the relationship of QSTP to the Education City that is next door. The nucleus of the collaboration that is developed there will be critical in the success that we’ll have going forward,” he says.

Vision of development
Qatar Science & Technology Park works to transform Qatar into a knowledge economy by attracting commercially-oriented research and development.  Part of the Qatar Foundation, founded by the Emir, QSTP is co-located with campuses of Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M, Weill Cornell and other renowned universities.  QSTP provides an environment for local and international companies to interact with the universities and develop new technologies. EADS, ExxonMobil, GE, Microsoft, Shell, Total and others have already committed $225 million of R&D investment at QSTP.
Founded in 1995 by the Emir of Qatar and chaired by Sheikha Mozah, the Qatar Foundation is a private, non-profit organisation committed to the principle that a nation’s greatest natural resource is its people.
The headquarters of Qatar Foundation is located within its flagship project, Education City. A 14-million sq m campus, Education City is home to numerous progressive learning institutions and centres of research, including branch campuses of six of the world’s leading universities, plus a cutting-edge research and development centre. Qatar Foundation also works to enhance the quality of life in Qatar by investing in community health and development.