Shell Innovation Summit highlights the importance of collaboration

Shell recently held a two-day Innovation Summit at the Shell Technology Center in Houston, Texas, bringing the company’s business and technology leaders together with a cross-section of experts. The aim of the summit was to explore how collaboration among unusual partners can generate innovative ways of thinking and new ideas on complex social issues such as the growing stress among food, water and energy. Other sessions explored the future of energy, including tight gas, nanotechnology, high performance computing, and biofuels. The Innovation Summit also served as the rededication of the newly remodeled and expanded Shell Technology Center Houston.
 
“Shell has spent over a billion dollars a year on researching and developing new technologies — more than any of our peers. This investment in innovation and a consistent commitment to collaboration are essential to spark new ideas and develop solutions to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges,” said Matthias Bichsel, Royal Dutch Shell Projects & Technology director. “They are the keys to delivering much needed energy in a more sustainable way for a rapidly growing global population and ensuring improved living standards for millions of people now and in the future.”
 
“Real innovation relies on co-creation, collaborative problem-solving and cultivating next-generation ideas from within and outside our company to pioneer unique solutions,” said Gerald Schotman, chief technology officer and executive vice president, Innovation Research & Development at Royal Dutch Shell. “Advanced technologies continue to generate new energy sources, increase efficiency, and address and responsibly manage environmental impacts.”
 
Shell Technology Center Houston, in collaboration with the company’s technology hubs in Bangalore (India) and Amsterdam (The Netherlands), is a key part of Shell’s global network of technology centers that are connected to Shell’s worldwide businesses, customers and partners. Other Shell research, development and testing facilities are in Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Qatar, Norway, the Sultanate of Oman and the UK. A new technical center for lubricants technology is planned for China. (January 11, 2013)