MUSCAT: Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrouqiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, on Sunday visited Sohar University to inspect projects linking the university with the industrial and entrepreneurship sectors.
The visit comes within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to link the academic sector with the industrial sector and the labour market as well as strengthening partnership with relevant authorities with the aim of reaching tangible results.
The minister was accompanied during the visit by Shaikh Saif bin Hamyar al Shehi, Governor of North Al Batinah, Engineer Hilal bin Hamad al Hasani, CEO, Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) and a number of CEOs of companies operating within Sohar Port and Sohar Industrial Estate as well as officials from Oman Investment Authority (OIA), PDO, Oman Technology Fund (OTF) and directors-general at the ministry.
During the meeting, the minister stressed the importance of building trust between the academic and industrial sectors, strengthening partnership to achieve a coherent economic structure, and realising rapid growth through concerted efforts of all relevant parties. She pointed out the importance of sustainability of higher education, scientific research and innovation by seeking to find various sources of funding pointing to the role of the Education Endowment Foundation (Siraj).
The minister called for the importance of concerted efforts between the university, Madayn and Sohar Port. She called for the establishment of a joint team to create a participatory environment with the industrial and entrepreneurship sectors through the localisation of incubators, and the transformation of ideas into value-added projects.
The minister and her accompanying delegation visited the Sohar Production Project, which is implemented by Sohar University in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). The project includes a leading plant for manufacturing and designing molds and production tools.
The project also includes the Manufacturing Research Centre, which is concerned with industrial research to design, manufacture and test high-value products and parts to serve the industrial sector.
Both projects utilise modern manufacturing technologies and state-of-the-art equipment.
The minister also toured the Materials Characterisation Laboratory (MCL) project, which was implemented in cooperation between Sohar University and OQ as part of the technology localisation and value-added enhancement programmes.
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