Rolls-Royce to develop test facility at Qatar Science & Technology Park

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Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and Rolls Royce Sunday announced that Rolls Royce will set up a new testing and maintenance facility at QSTP. The facility will support the development of new applications for Rolls-Royce’s Trent gas turbine engines.

An agreement that will lead to Rolls-Royce starting work on the test and maintenance facility at QSTP in August 2005 was signed in London today by Sir John Rose, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce plc, and Dr Abdullah Al Kubaisi, Chairman of QSTP.

The facility will be used to support new marine and aeronautical applications of the highly successful series of Rolls-Royce Trent engines.

It will be implemented in two phases: The first phase will consist of the design of support infrastructure for the facility. The second, targeted for 2006, will see the full implementation and operation of the facility, plus development of a think tank and post graduate research programmes.

Sir John Rose said “Throughout the world, Rolls-Royce prides itself on supporting the communities and countries in which it operates. We are therefore delighted to be among the first investors in QSTP and support its quest to become an international hub for applied research and technology commercialisation.

“Furthermore, as our business is expanding in the Middle East, it made sense to invest in a new development facility there. The Qatar Science & Technology Park was the obvious location because it is designed specifically for corporate technology operations.”

Dr Abdullah said:  “We are delighted that Rolls-Royce will be developing its test and maintenance centre in the Qatar Science & Technology Park. There is a tremendous market for new industrial technologies in Qatar, and Rolls-Royce is showing that these technologies can now be developed locally.”

Rolls-Royce which operates in four global markets – civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy – already has a considerable presence in Qatar with an agreement in place to power Qatar Airways' A340 fleet of aircraft, and another to supply industrial Trent engines for the Dolphin Project which will pipe natural gas from Qatar to the United Arab Emirates.

Rolls-Royce's operations in Qatar will be led by Terry Holland, Regional Executive for the Middle East, who said:  "Our investment in Qatar will not only allow us to be closer to our customers but it will also allow us to develop and test new capabilities which we can then bring to market.  “Through our initiatives, we also want to be able share our best practices in developing the Qatari industrial sector. QSTP will act as a platform for developing and delivering present and future ground-breaking technologies."

© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)