Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has opened the new Oil & Gas Technology Centre Innovation Hub in Aberdeen .
The new Hub is part of the Oil & Gas Technology Centre, a non-profit, industry-led, technology research and development organization, funded by the Aberdeen City Region Deal.
The Scottish Government said on Monday that the new innovation facility would bring together industry and technology providers to take concepts from initial inspiration to final implementation.
In the last six months, working in partnership with industry, the Centre has approved the investment of more than £12 million ($16 million) in 21 projects.
During her visit to the opening ceremony for the new Hub, the First Minister said: “The Oil & Gas Technology Centre has made fantastic progress since opening its doors in February of this year . The new Hub aims to be the engine for innovation in the North Sea oil and gas industry.
“The state-of-the-art facility will speed up the deployment of new technologies to help unlock the full potential of the sector, and cement Aberdeen’s reputation as a global center for innovation and technology development.
“The Hub’s potential is being embraced by an ever-increasing number of companies. They recognize its important role in addressing industry problems and exploring how oil and gas technology can be adopted in other industries, such as renewables.”
Luca Corradi , innovation network director at the Oil & Gas Technology Centre, added: “It will be a catalyst for new thinking and new ideas, working in partnership with innovators and oil and gas companies to develop technology solutions for industry challenges.
“The Hub uses the latest facilitation tools and techniques to harness creativity and turn ideas into actions. We look forward to working with schools and universities to create a program to inspire a new generation of innovators.”
Steve Phimister , upstream director for UK & Ireland at Shell, who was one of the speakers at the opening ceremony, said: “Technology is providing solutions as the oil and gas sector seeks to maximize economic recovery from the North Sea. The Innovation Hub will help in embracing future opportunities as well as reinforcing the skills and capabilities which exist in this region and across the supply chain.”