Emirates Scientists Council (ESC) announced today the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge), which aims to support scientists in the UAE and promote scientific research. The agreement comes within the framework of strengthening cooperation between the government, the private sector and the country’s scientific and academic communities.
The partnership between ESC and Borouge has been established to open the doors for fruitful collaboration in the field of scientific research and to further activate the role of Open Labs - a pioneering initiative that provides UAE scientists with access to the country’s cutting-edge scientific research centres. The platform enables scientists and researchers to utilise the latest equipment to conduct advanced experiments that serve the development of science and which enhance the science sector’s contribution to sustainable development. The agreement was signed by H.E. Sara Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Science, President of ESC and Ahmed Omar Abdulla, CEO of Borouge.
"The UAE Open Labs initiative reflects the leadership's vision to support the scientific community in the UAE and to advance research in the country by providing the necessary resources and capabilities for scientists to develop solutions to meet existing and future challenges. Effective partnerships between the government sector, the private sector and the scientific and academic communities within the state is a fundamental pillar for achieving these goals,” said H.E. Sara Al Amiri.
“These forms of fruitful collaboration between the government and private sector help prepare a generation of researchers who are capable of carrying out studies that enhance the scientific landscape and meet the targets of the National Advanced Sciences Agenda 2031, which works towards achieving sustainable development and transforming the UAE into a global centre for research and science. Our partnership with Borouge creates an added value for the Open Labs initiative as it provides advanced research equipment that will greatly contribute to enhancing the skills of UAE researchers in various universities, centres and laboratories. We are confident that this step will have a significant positive impact on the development of various vital fields and will create real opportunities that will lead us to a brighter future,” Her Excellency added.
Under the partnership agreement, Borouge will lend support to the Open Labs initiative by providing advanced scientific research tools at the Borouge Research & Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi for researchers from across the UAE, enabling them to conduct leading scientific experiments and studies. UAE researchers can also use the company's facility to conduct experiments that enhance the use of advanced science in finding practical solutions to challenges. Equipment provided by Borouge for researchers will include infra-red spectroscopy, thermal analysis and light microscopy devices.
“As a leading national company in the field of science and research, it makes us proud to contribute to the scientific development of the UAE by supporting local scientists and researchers and enabling them to access our scientific laboratories and use the advanced equipment in our Research & Innovation Centre,” said Ahmed Omar Abdulla, CEO of Borouge.
“We are delighted to cooperate with the Emirates Scientists Council and offer our laboratory equipment to support the important research work of UAE scientists. They will be working and conducting various experiments alongside Borouge’s creative scientists and engineers at the Centre to develop new plastics solutions that add significant value to businesses and society,” he added.
The Open Labs initiative is a consortium of leading research institutions in the UAE. It aims to provide an advanced research environment and infrastructure to enhance the country's scientific and specialised sectors by reducing research and development costs by 30 per cent. Through the Open Labs platform, more than 510 pieces of equipment from 10 of the largest research institutions in the country will be available for the researchers’ use. The Open Labs’ institutions include Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Khalifa University, UAE University, American University of Sharjah, Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, ICBA, NYU Abu Dhabi, Emirates Global Aluminum, Borouge and Zayed University.
