OREANDA-NEWS. January 31, 2013. Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has further demonstrated its growth commitment by expanding its multi-year agreement with one of the world’s top-ranked universities, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich), under an umbrella agreement signed in Zurich, Switzerland, on January 21 for multiple future projects in a wide range of areas in technology and innovation.

SABIC had entered into a research collaboration agreement with the Swiss university last year in the field of functional materials and nanotechnology. The new agreement will strengthen this research alliance and allow the two sides to enter into strategic partnerships. The agreement will allow SABIC to develop advanced technologies into innovative solutions to meet global market needs and demands in many societal areas.

Ernesto Occhiello, Executive Vice President, SABIC Technology and Innovation, said that collaborative projects with well-established scientific organizations and research centers are an essential part of SABIC’s research program. “These initiatives enable us to draw on knowledge and expertise from across the globe and for SABIC researchers to work with world class teams of scientists in the respective joint research areas,” he said.

ETH Zurich regularly appears on the top of international university rankings. Twenty one Nobel Laureates have studied, taught or conducted research at the university, underlining the outstanding reputation of the institute.