ExxonMobil has announced its intention to commit $10m (£7.75m) over five years to the Singapore Energy Center, a partnership aimed at the advancement of next-generation technologies and initiated by the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.
This makes it the first founding sector partner for the centre, and it is the first research and development partnership that the company has entered into outside of the US.
ExxonMobil, which in addition to being one of the world’s biggest oil companies also makes lubricants for Mobil UK distributors, will collaborate with the centre. Students and faculty at the two universities will get to cooperate with scientist and researchers at ExxonMobil as part of the five-year commitment. Both universities are also inviting other big companies to participate in this interdisciplinary cooperation between industry and academia.
Speaking at a signing ceremony at Singapore International Energy Week, the vice president of research and development at ExxonMobil Engineering and Research Company, Vijay Swarup, said:
“The Singapore Energy Center will serve as a focal point for close collaboration between universities and industry in exploring solutions for addressing the dual challenge of meeting society’s growing energy needs while addressing the risks of climate change.”
ExxonMobil said in a press release that its support for the centre builds upon its already extensive joint efforts with other research and academic institutions (about 80) that focus their efforts on improving energy efficiency, developing a range of innovative energy technologies and finding ways to reduce greenhouse gases.
