Riyadh Techno Valley

The following section provides further elaboration on components of each sub-cluster. These clusters with sub clusters provide the RTV Steering Committee with a starting point from which to further assess RTV scope and capacity in each cluster. Further analysis on each cluster will be necessary and it is recommended that a comprehensive technology assessment be undertaken for each cluster area.

Core Cluster 1: Chemicals and Materials

Identified through a review of KSU strengths and industry analysis, global industry sector reports and analysis, emerging trends and developments in the chemicals and materials sector, international chemical and materials research and development efforts, university and industry technology product next stage R&D, and international science park activities and emerging trends, specific sub-clusters and technology components identified as being relevant to the RTV

Chemicals and Materials cluster are as follows:

Petrochemicals

Materials

Chemicals

Energy

Effective materials are vital to the efficient operation of production and manufacturing operations in the petrochemicals sector, and inspection methods play a critical role in the performance of all phases of the petroleum industry. A major area of industry research and development is in materials and inspection, and the development of on-line inspection technologies such as robotics inspection systems offers considerable scope for further consideration. A further significant development in the petrochemicals sector is the development and application of petroleum intermediaries, that is, petrochemical products for further use by other industrial producers. An RTV focus on high-performance membranes is similarly a major area for potential growth. Government and industry partners are researching high-performance membranes as alternatives to conventional energy-intensive distillation processes. Pervaporation and reverse-selectivity membranes are being tested for hydrocarbon separation and hydrogen recovery. Potentially, membrane separation could be 20% more energy efficient than distillation. The development of hybrid nanoporous materials-based, and carbon nanotubebased, separation membranes, for desalination and water purification, is likewise a potential RTV focus.

A focus on materials offers RTV significant opportunities in the area of advanced ceramics. The development and production of advanced ceramics that are light, strong, corrosion-resistant and capable of performing in high-temperature environments has wide ranging applications for Saudi Arabian industry and the RTV. Accordingly, significant potential exists for RTV to develop a capacity in optimizing material properties for improved reliability, long-term end-user field testing, and fabrication efficiencies. Advanced ceramics are used in a variety of industries including the chemicals, aluminum, metal casting, ceramic coating, glass, optics, petroleum refining and steel industries. Such materials are also applicable to cutting edge technologies associated with aerospace, electronics, defence, biomaterials, energy and storage devices, nuclear materials, superconductors and renewable energy devices. They are suitable for engine parts that enhance performance, fiber optics for high speed communications, bio-ceramics for medical implants, ceramic elements for integrated electronics, and heat resistant tiles. Further potential markets include power generation and fuel cells, heat exchangers, radiant burners, furnace fans and hot fixtures, sensors and shields, filtration and cleanup devices for harsh environments (hot gas filters, catalytic converters). Further applications include large internal combustion engines (valves, followers, bearings, sleeves) and structural electronics and micromachines.

In considering electronic and photonic materials as a component of the materials sub-cluster, RTV opportunities include chemical and structural compositions including organic or inorganic, crystalline or amorphous for use in metals, ceramics, glasses, and plastics. Such materials are used in computers, telecommunication systems, copiers, fax machines, compact disc players, and video cameras. They can include amorphous semiconductors for solar cells, transistors for flat panel displays, electro optic films, liquid crystals for compact and low power displays, and also include magneto-optic films for recordable compact discs, single crystals for clocks and watches, semiconductors and superconductors for devices and applications.

In identifying polymers as a component, RTV holds considerable potential for technology and product development. The polymer industry is extremely dynamic, subject to change, and opportunities are regularly arising from technological advances and the development of new materials and processing technologies, not least the development of new products and changes in consumer requirements. Polymer based products and components are used in many applications and each year, global the demand steadily grows. Uses include organic, physical and analytical chemistry, contemporary physics, chemical, mechanical & electrical engineering. Significant potential exists for RTV to focus on specialty polymers and the identification of new catalysts to make commodity plastics more cheaply or with precisely defined chain structures to give controlled properties. Specific RTV opportunities include medical devices, consumable medical products, and packaging for medical products to support the Kingdom’s emerging medical devices industry. Further applications include aerospace, automotive, defense, electrical, electronic and construction related sectors, with products including fiberglass, pipes, storage products, insulation materials and home goods.

An RTV focus on metals as part of the materials sub-cluster affords the opportunity for RTV to increase the performance of metals by combining different metallic compounds, manipulating structures or manufacturing them in new ways. RTV opportunities to support new welding methods, techniques for coating and/or treating metal surfaces to protect and impart new properties, with new ways to combine metals with other materials, could considerably support the Kingdom’s construction sector, along with other sectors including transportation systems, electronics and aerospace, consumer products and the medical device sector. Products that could benefit from RTV application include duplex and ferritic stainless steels for thermal plant evaporators, construction material for high temperature desalination plants, corrosion resistant alloys, erosion resistant alloys, high strength and high temperature alloys.

As the single most important technology in the chemical industry, catalysis is a major component of the Chemicals sub-cluster. With more than 80 percent of all chemical products coming into contact with catalysts at least once during their synthesis process, catalysis is a major opportunity for RTV. Opportunities exist in the development of new homogeneous catalysts that, unlike heterogeneous catalysis, make use of catalysts already dissolved in the reaction mixture. With an identified need for dynamic process technologies in the Kingdom, RTV should focus on dynamic process as R&D basic catalytic research is not new and the Kingdom has a number of institutions already undertaking this research.

Technologies that RTV should pursue include corrosion and catalysts, organometallic chemistry, nanoparticle technology, bioinorganic chemistry, reaction engineering, thermo fluids and solid mechanics. Such a technology focus is founded on the market reality that high-performance catalysts have huge benefits, both environmental and economic, and they help to significantly reduce resources used for substance reactions while producing fewer by-products. They open up new, more cost-effective ways of manufacturing established products and enable the efficient manufacture of new products.

Energy as a component of the sub-cluster provides RTV with a number of opportunities. With technologies including light emitting diodes, solar power and photovoltaic (PV), IT and biotechnology-related applications, as well as renewable energy, biogas (hydrogen for fuel cells), industrial opportunities exist for application in biotechnology, thin films and solar-grade silicon and other PV-related fields. With potential application to photovoltaic part-producing companies products include silicon-based cells, plates, and multi-crystalline modules for the PV sector. There is, for example, supposedly only one multi-crystalline silicon factory in the world that is entirely dedicated to producing solar-grade multi-crystalline silicon for the PV industry.

Further potential exists to consider energy-related materials, and the energy sub-cluster is an area in which materials technology will play a particularly important role in meeting future needs. It is assumed that energy generation, conservation, storage and security of supply will continue to be major drivers for materials technology. Potential RTV technologies include exhaust gas heat recovery, turbine blades treatment, micro turbines, waste heat extraction processes and air conditioning. Electricity distribution and transmission, magnetic energy storage, fuel cell membrane, pulverized fuel boilers and steam generation equipment are potential applications for use in the aerospace and defence, thermal, nuclear, petrochemical, oil and gas and pharmaceutical industries.

Core Cluster 2: Agro, Bio and Environmental

Similarly identified through a review of KSU strengths and industry analysis, global industry sector reports, emerging trends in the agro, bio and environmental sector, and international agro, bio and environmental research and development efforts, specific sub-clusters and technologies identified as being relevant to the RTV Agro, Bio, Environmental cluster are as follows.

Agro

Pharmaceutical

Environmental

RTV opportunities include agrochemicals and fertilizers, packaging and petroleum derivatives, biodegradation of plastic products, animal feed and additives, bio-pesticides. A specific opportunity exists for RTV to establish an Ag-biotech Innovation Center for already established agribusiness companies in the kingdom to set up their own R&D facilities at within RTV. Businesses coming to RTV could be required to establish research collaboration with KSU in an area which is mutually beneficial to both.

A number of pharma-related technologies are viable as part of the cluster for potential RTV application including areas of biopharma, biochemistry, health care/medical, crop production and agriculture, industrial crop use, biodegradable plastics and environmental uses. Bioinformatics has the potential to inform functional and structural genomics and proteomics, a key component in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. Industrial opportunities exist in medical processes and the design of organisms and genomic manipulation and biosensors. Potential applications include the development of food quality assurance systems through biotechnology products to identify harmful bacteria. Similarly, DNA fingerprinting of bacteria that helps the food industry and healthcare sectors, and biotech testing and compliance systems for agricultural crops exist.

With strong economic and population growth in the Kingdom and across the region driving long-term pharmaceutical market growth, RTV opportunities exist in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry segments, and particularly in the sectors of pharmacogenomics, drug production, genetic testing and gene therapy. Potential RTV technologies include clinical trials for new drug and drug delivery systems, bioequivalence, a specific pharma-based therapeutics targeted to the medical needs of the Kingdom such as diabetes research and development, and other genetic disorders. A clear RTV opportunity exists to develop a range of USFDA-approved laboratories and tailor-made medicines, supporting companies and SFDA to create and test drugs based on the proteins, enzymes and RNA molecules that are associated with specific genes and diseases.

There are five technology areas underpinning the next generation of desalination plants providing RTV with an array of opportunities. These opportunities include membrane technologies that desalinate/purify water by pushing it through a semi-permeable membrane to remove contaminants, alternative technologies that desalinate and purify water and take advantage of non-traditional methods, thermal technologies that rely on boiling and/or freezing water and capturing the purified water while contaminants remain behind, concentrate management technologies and reuse and/or recycling technologies (often membrane or alternative) that must be designed to handle increased contaminant loads due to their postconsumer application. Potential RTV technologies include saline water desalination technologies, corrosion and scaling, nanomaterials including nanofiltration membranes, and nanosensors for the detection of contaminants and pathogens. Catalytic degradation, metering and billing and associated hardware and information and communication technology (ICT) applications are a further opportunity for RTV.