CEO presents on Qatalum’s business activities and latest materials research at two leading local industry events

CEO presents on Qatalum’s business activities

Qatalum participated in and sponsored two top local industry events in February 2011 – the International Institute for Multifunctional Materials for Energy Conversion (IIMEC), and the Qatar Materials Science and Engineering Symposium (QMSES) – where Qatalum CEO Jan Arve Haugan delivered presentations on the smelter’s business activities and latest materials research.

​​​Haugan's presentation at the IIMEC meeting provided delegates with an overview of Qatalum, detailing the company's activities and goals in Qatar and the region, while the talk at QMSES – entitled "Perspective of Qatar Industry Leaders on Research and Development in Materials in Qatar" – focused on giving an overview of the smelter's operations and vision, as well as presenting the specific research developments in materials technology. Both talks also touched on Qatalum's implementation ​of its Qatarisation policy and the importance of building a knowledge-based industry and the challenges inherent therein.

CEO presents on Qatalum’s business activities 

The IIMEC meeting, which took place at Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) on 20 and 21 February, brought together scientists and engineers, as well as representatives from the NSF, the industry and Qatar government organisations. The meeting combined technical presentations and panels on the four IIMEC themes, with a focus on establishing new collaborations and growing existing ones, while also providing international experience for students and faculty of participating institutions.

QMSES, which took place at Qatar University on 22 February 2011, is a technical symposium organised as a forum to discuss the latest advancements in materials science and engineering. Discussions were also held on strategic research areas and the required partnerships with industry and government if innovative and practical solutions for material applications in Qatar are to be developed. The main focus of the technical presentations and panel discussions was on characterisation, modelling and prevention of corrosion as well as on sustainability of engineering materials in Qatar.​

Says Haugan: "The IIMEC meeting and the Qatar Materials Symposium provided an exciting opportunity for us to present an overview of Qatalum's operations, research and vision to distinguished local, regional and international industry and government attendees. In addition to sharing our own experience and expertise regarding the industry, and the activities involved in implementing Qatarisation and building a knowledge-based industry, we were able to learn from the experiences and expertise of others, and to share information about the latest best practices and technical breakthroughs, all of which will further help Qatalum's continued growth and development".​