Qatar in aluminium technology initiative

An initiative to position Qatar as a core knowledge centre for aluminium technology in the Middle East has been launched jointly by Qatar University’s Centre for Advanced Materials (CAM), Hydro and Qatalum.

CAM’s metallurgical expertise will be reinforced by Hydro, the global aluminium company active in more than 50 countries on all continents, and Qatalum, one of the largest aluminium producers in the Middle East.

It was announced yesterday that two prominent Norwegian senior professors will hold Qatalum/Hydro Chair positions in tandem for three years at CAM.

Professor Hans Roven and Professor Geir Martin Haarberg are currently based out of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. Professor Roven will take charge this month itself, and Professor Haarberg will commence from January 2014.

“The partnership - an offshoot of a memorandum signed in March this year between QU, Hydro and Qatalum - will help bridge the gap between academia and aluminium industry,” observed Dr Hassan al-Derham, vice president for research, QU.

Khalid Mohamed Sultan Larem, deputy CEO, Qatalum, described the partnership as a golden opportunity to educate future generations of Qataris about the aluminium industry, which has the potential to grow like the oil and gas industry.

“This Chair exemplifies Qatalum’s commitment to facilitate a knowledge based economy in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. By bringing such expertise here, Qatalum is enabling Qatar to become an aluminium technology leader within the GCC,” he stated.

“Aluminium is a material for the future,” asserted Prof Roven who emphasised a vision to develop research facilities and team work apart from maintaining a close collaboration between the industry and QU.

Research at CAM will aim to make aluminium production process more efficient, Prof Haarberg maintained.

“There is also a possibility to organise a student exchange programme between Norway and Qatar,” he said.

Dr Chris Devadas, head, Hydro Technology Centre Qatar, pointed out that Professors Roven and Haarberg represent extensive experience from materials research.

“We believe their high level of materials research and educational competence will be valuable for Qatar University, Hydro and for Qatalum,” he said.

The professors will lead and support the effort towards establishing research projects that will be oriented towards aluminium applications and end use.

QU is one of the companies’ strategic university partners and an important recruitment base for Qatalum in the coming years. The professors’ expertise is complementary and covers Qatalum’s main operational units as well as the downstream processes for customers of Qatalum.

Top experts to hold positions

Prof Hans Roven and Prof Geir Martin Haarberg, who will hold Qatalum/Hydro chair positions at Qatar University, are globally-acclaimed in their respective fields. Prof Roven is the director of Strategic area materials at the materials department of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. His fields of research include forming processes, severe plastic deformation and direct nanostructuring of aluminium and other light alloys.