On the sidelines of the Dow Innovation Summit held on KAUST’s campus last week, Dow Vice President for Sustainability and Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Neil Hawkins spoke to Arab News about sustainability at Dow and the role of sustainability in the collaborative effort’s R&D program.
The Dow Chemical Company based in the US city of Michigan announced in September 2009 plans to establish a research and development center at KAUST.
“Research to be conducted at the Dow Middle East and Africa R&D Center at KAUST is completely aligned with Dow’s 2015 Sustainability Goals,” said Hawkins who leads a team of sustainability and life-cycle professionals and also has global responsibility for Dow’s organizations and programs for product safety and toxicology, regulatory affairs, medical and health services, epidemiology, and auditing and compliance, and remediation.
“We only have one planet, with limited resources. So, at Dow, everything we do and how we do it matters. We are committed to minimizing our own footprint, and to delivering solutions that help our customers and the rest of society do the same,” he said.
The Dow R&D Center at KAUST will financially and intellectually support a number of dynamic programs and initiatives, including funding thesis research and semi-annual technology research challenges, as well as the Dow Talent Program to develop and train Saudi talent.
The proposed state-of-the-art R&D center, to be jointly designed by the partners, is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
“The world needs solutions for big challenges like energy, climate change, water, food, housing, and health,” Hawkins said. “And at Dow, we have some of the world’s best scientists and engineers dedicated to solving these challenges through innovation.”
Two key developments in Dow’s recent expansion of its global R&D footprint are the partnership with KAUST and the inauguration of the Shanghai Dow Center in China. This supplements Dow’s ongoing plans to establish an R&D hub in India through the company’s regional subsidiary Dow Chemical International Private Ltd. (Dow India).
“What KAUST and Dow are trying to do with science and innovation is actually quite similar. Our collaboration at KAUST will aim to generate discoveries that are acutely relevant to sustainable development in the surrounding communities and economy. ... For example, discoveries related to water sciences and oil and gas would enable more clean water to the average water consumer here in Saudi Arabia, or enable economic efficiencies for business customers involved in the region’s oil and gas industry,” Hawkins said.
“As the world’s leading specialty chemical and advanced materials company, Dow is taking responsibility to set the standard for the chemical industry. Since 1990 Dow has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25 percent and saved $9.2 billion in energy costs since 1994,” Hawkins said.
In its continuing endeavor to bring solutions closer to its customers, the R&D facility could feature a unique Customer Innovation Center (CIC), enabling Dow to work side by side with customers to turn market opportunities and new ideas into profitable solutions — converting concepts into prototypes that will give customers a first-hand opportunity to see how their products will taste in a consumer’s mouth or feel against their skin. Patterned after the successful CIC in the Shanghai Dow Center, the center would connect Dow’s broad R&D and business expertise with customers’ needs and knowledge.
“Dow has a strategic relationship with KAUST, and this relationship is driven by a commitment to collaborate with customers, industry, government, NGOs and academia to foster innovation and sustainable development,” he said.
The joint research framework will engage students with projects and academic programs that will grow the relevance of the Dow R&D Center for the Saudi Arabian economy, while enhancing the problem-solving capacity of the University’s top talent pool, Hawkins said.
Dow’s plans include an initial annual minimum funding commitment of $1 million to support multi-year R&D sponsored projects and initiatives catering to the mutual objectives of Dow and KAUST students and faculty. Initial research will focus on water sciences. Other areas being considered for the Research Park include CO2 capture, enhanced oil recovery, water desalination, solar energy, and wind energy.
