Fostering a Technical Culture in the Middle East

Andrew Vaughan, Shell vice president for Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Syria, and country chairman for Abu Dhabi, discusses how his company is promoting technology and innovation in the Middle East.

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Andrew Vaughan, Shell vice president for Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Syria, and country chairman for Abu Dhabi, discusses how his company is promoting technology and innovation in the Middle East.

Developing new technology and attracting and retaining talent are key issues facing the energy sector. How is the situation with Shell? What are you doing to meet these challenges?

Developing and applying new technologies is critical for the industry if we are to develop the resources needed to meet growing energy demand. Population growth and rising standards of living will see energy demand grow by around 50% in the next 35 years. As oil and gas become harder to find and develop, we will need better technologies. In addition, we will need to find solutions for increased energy efficiency and the growing impact of CO2 on the climate. Shell is one of the world’s biggest investors in research and development and our proprietary technologies are applied in our ventures across the globe to meet tomorrow’s energy challenges.

Attracting and developing new talent is critical. At Shell, we have already made huge progress in the region. About 85% of the employees in our operated and nonoperated joint ventures in the Middle East are nationals. A number of Shell staff are working alongside staff of national oil companies in partnership in the Middle East or are seconded to work outside their Middle Eastern country of origin. Youth in the Middle East offer a huge potential, and the measurement of our success going forward will be how we leverage that to the maximum.

Shell has launched several initiatives to promote technology and innovation through energy-related events.

The energy debate is urgent, complex, and subject to many uncertainties. Making sure we have sufficient, affordable, and smart energy is a priority.

Shell Eco-marathon is one of Shell’s initiatives designed to stimulate and connect people who are interested in the energy challenges of tomorrow and who want to contribute to the solutions. Collaboration among students, partners, and other stakeholders are at the heart of the Shell Eco-marathon across the globe. Shell Eco-marathon is both a challenge and an educational experience that encourages innovation and fosters the development of new technology for greater energy efficiency. Through the events, Shell offers young people hands-on experience, and an opportunity to stretch the boundaries of real-world fuel efficiency, all in the spirit of teamwork, competition, and innovation, and it is great fun.

What is your objective for running this event? 

Eco-marathon began in 1939 at a Shell research laboratory in the United States as a friendly wager between two scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicle. The winner of that contest barely achieved 50 mpg, and from these humble origins, a more organized competition evolved. In 1985 in France, Shell Eco-marathon as we know it today was born. In April 2007, the Shell Eco-marathon Americas event was launched in the United States. In 2010, the inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Asia was held in Malaysia, which hosted Shell Eco-marathon Asia until 2013. In 2014, the event was held in Manila, the Philippines, which will continue to host the event until 2016. The event challenges student teams from around the world to design, build, and test ultra energy-efficient vehicles. The winners are the teams that go the farthest using the least amount of energy. The events spark debate about the future of mobility and inspire young engineers to push the boundaries of fuel efficiency.

Several universities from across the Middle East took part in this year’s event. How would you evaluate the technologies developed by Middle East-based universities?

We were excited to witness the “made in the Middle East” innovations that were showcased in Manila. Engineering students from the Middle East and North Africa region joined 113 teams to compete in the race for the most fuel-efficient car. This year, a record eight student teams from the region’s leading universities took to the streets in Manila to compete. This regional representation was made up of two team entries each from the UAE, Qatar, Lebanon, and Egypt. All the teams have been hard at work for almost a year and their use of technology has been impressive. We had two teams from the UAE, one from Al Ruwais Colleges and one from the Abu Dhabi Men’s College, who finished third and fourth place with their diesel-fueled vehicles, achieving fuel consumption of 151 km/L and 128 km/L, respectively. The Gernas team from Qatar University landed second place in the gas-to-liquids category with a result of up to 75.2 km/L. These are outstanding achievements.

Are you working on enhancing your R&D activities in the Middle East? If so, are you going to join hands with universities and institutions in the region?

We have established research projects in top universities around the world, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, and Tsinghua University in China. We aim to improve energy efficiency in our own operations, supporting customers in managing their energy demands, and continuing to research and develop technologies that increase efficiency and reduce emissions in liquids and natural gas production.