A group photo of the winning team in QU Business Challenge with officials.
Doha, Qatar: As part of its innovation and knowledge management initiatives, Qatar University (QU) with McDermott’s team in Doha has collaborated on its first major academic and industry collaboration.
Together, they have been driving activities encouraging young talents to develop creative solutions for the oil and gas industry. Led by McDermott’s Center of Knowledge Management, Innovation, and Research (KMIR), the final phase of the QU Business Challenge was held in Doha, reinforcing the commitment to empowering young minds.
Three teams consisting of students and mentors from McDermott and QU participated in the initiative, divided into two phases. The first phase was completed in February 2023, when the three teams presented their proposed solution for the challenge. They showcased the results of their initial study, including the need for an innovative design, business suitability, sustainability, and market value.
In the final phase of the competition, students presented the prototype, final operational model, and software tool for the solution presented in the first phase, the hydrogen electrolyzer unit that Dr. Saud Abdul Aziz Abdu Ghani’s team created serves as the cornerstone of a decarbonized economy. The team headed by Dr. Galal M. Mohammed Abdella created an interactive platform to quantify the CO2 footprint of oil and gas pipelines on shallow-water offshore platforms. Dr. Samer Ahmed led the third team that created a CO2 capture system for portable emission sources.
Based on the industry evaluation criteria and suitability of immediate adoption, the project that quantified the CO2 footprint for the oil and gas industry was declared the winner, and each team member received a certificate of award and a trip to offshore facilities. The jury was made up of McDermott leaders from different functions who evaluated the proposals.
The winner’s team comprised Fatima Al Sulaiti, Lolwa Al Majid, Hissa Al Kubaisi, Masheel Ahmad, and Safaa Abouzeid. The group’s mentors were Vinod Pillai, Senior Manager Pipeline Engineering at McDermott, and Dr. Galal M. Mohammed Abdella, Professor at QU.
The QU Business Challenge is in addition to other partnership initiatives between McDermott and QU, including technical presentations given at the university by subject matter experts from McDermott and visits to McDermott’s fabrication yard (QFAB) in Ras Laffan.
In his comment, Dr. Khalid Kamal Naji, Dean of the College of Engineering at QU, said: “McDermott’s collaboration with QU represents a significant milestone in fostering academic-industry partnerships for the advancement of young professionals in our community. The joint initiative not only encourages innovative thinking but also provides a platform for students to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios within the oil and gas industry.”
“This partnership aligns with our commitment to nurturing talent and promoting a culture of research and innovation among our students. We look forward to further collaborations that empower our young minds and contribute to the growth of the energy sector in Qatar.”
For his side, Neil Gunnion, Country Head and Vice President of Operations in Qatar, stated: “We’re committed to promoting youth leadership as we believe there is a strong future here in Qatar. In addition to the partnership with universities, we support the Qatar National Graduates Development Program (NGDP) by incorporating national graduates into our teams and providing a structured and expansive learning opportunity. We integrate them into our EPC environment across engineering and project controls, fabrication facilities, and vessels, giving them full exposure to every aspect of these complex energy projects.”
The two parties agree to enhance their collaboration this year by selecting research topics of industrial nature for a number of graduate students at Qatar University in their master and doctorate studies. These research projects will provide solutions to challenges that McDermott might face in their operations.
