OREANDA-NEWS. October 19, 2012. The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) signed a multiyear strategic agreement with the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, UK, on September 24 to mutually develop advanced technologies into innovative solutions, with a clear focus on meeting key market objectives and the demands of the global community.

The agreement, which was signed in the presence of Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, focuses on diverse areas of research which are of specific relevance to SABIC, ranging from Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Energy, Functional Materials and Modelling. The agreement will allow SABIC researchers to work with world class teams of scientists in the respective joint research areas.

Ernesto Occhiello, Executive Vice President, SABIC Technology and Innovation, said, “With this agreement, SABIC has demonstrated its growth commitment through intensified and meaningful cooperation with key partners in research. By developing innovative solutions we seek to further accelerate our product and technology advancement to fulfil our overall corporate goals.”

Occhiello added, “We are indeed proud to be associated with the University of Cambridge. Through this partnership we hope to stimulate knowledge collaboration as part of our ongoing investments in world-class technologies and technical expertise.”

The University of Cambridge is one of the world's oldest universities and leading academic centers, and a self-governed community of scholars. Its reputation for outstanding academic achievement is known worldwide and reflects the intellectual achievement of its students, as well as the world-class original research carried out by the staff of the university and the colleges.

SABIC signed four other research collaboration agreements earlier this year – with the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, China; ETH Zurich, Switzerland; National Research Council, Italy; and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Germany.