Latest news with #technologytransfer
Times of Oman
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Oman, Belarus sign 3 memoranda on understanding in technology transfer, transport sectors
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Belarus on Wednesday signed three memoranda of understanding (MoU) in Muscat to enhance cooperation on technology transfer in automotive and smart technology sectors. The first memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed by Karwa Motors and Belarusian company Amkodor, established a joint framework for industrial and commercial cooperation between the two sides, enabling them to expand into the markets of the Sultanate of Oman, the GCC states and African countries. The second MoU, signed by Karwa Motors and the Belarusian company MAZ, provides for cooperation between the two sides in the field of manufacturing and distributing transport vehicles, specialised vehicles and trailers. The MoU also includes studying joint marketing, establishing an integrated production line at Karwa Motors automobile plant in the Sultanate of Oman, transferring technical knowledge from the Belarusian side, offering specialized training programmes and providing technical support to enhance the efficiency of national cadres in this field. The two MoUs were signed by Dr. Ibrahim Ali Al Balushi, CEO of Karwa Motors, along with the Deputy General Manager for Marketing at Amkodor company and the Deputy Commercial Director of MAZ. The third MoU was signed by Oman National Engineering and Investment Company (ONEIC) and the Belarusian company Delivery Software "Delivio", deals with providing the latest digital solutions and advanced software to the Omani and regional markets. Key areas of cooperation, through the third MoU, include developing innovative solutions in the fields of ICT (information and communications technology), artificial intelligence (AI) applications, financial technology, and advanced technical services that support digital transition, automation and modernisation of corporate operations. The MoU was signed by Eng. Aziz Alhasani, General Manager of Information Technology and E-Business at ONEIC, Andrei Sudakov, CEO of Delivery Software. The signing ceremony was attended by Abdulsalam Mohammed Al Murshidi, Chairman of Oman Investment Authority (OIA), Dr. Abdullah Masoud Al Harthy, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Belarus to the Sultanate of Oman, among other officials from the two countries. The signing of the memoranda of understanding stems from the Omani-Belarusian Joint Committee's efforts to consolidate strategic partnerships between leading companies in the two countries, contribute to technology transfer and the development of national competencies and highlight the Sultanate of Oman's status as a regional hub for attracting quality investments projects.
South China Morning Post
16-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China-US ties: lawmakers call on American college to end role in Duke Kunshan University
Two Republican lawmakers in the US House of Representatives are asking Duke University to terminate its joint campus with Wuhan University in China over concerns about technology transfers and student 'manipulation'. In a letter to Duke's president Vincent Price, which was made public on Thursday, Michigan congressmen John Moolenaar and Tim Walberg said the partnership created a 'direct pipeline between US innovation and China's military-industrial complex' and facilitated the use of Americans as 'pawns' for Chinese propaganda. Duke Kunshan University (DKU) was founded in 2013 as a liberal arts-focused joint venture between Duke and Wuhan, both frequently ranked among the top 10 universities in their respective countries. 00:45 Trump says he can see himself dealing directly with Xi on US-China trade deal details Trump says he can see himself dealing directly with Xi on US-China trade deal details In a statement in 2012, then-Duke president Richard Brodhead framed the project as a way to introduce China to 'Duke's signature strengths of liberal arts education' and to help American students become more 'aware of a world of which China is a part'. The campus in Kunshan, in Jiangsu province, is home to about 2,000 students. In the spring semester of this year, it played host to some 1,635 undergraduates and 270 graduate students, according to DKU's website. The school does not confer doctoral degrees. Students receive a full degree from Duke University, in addition to one from DKU, which is certified by China's Ministry of Education, and are often offered the opportunity to spend time at Duke's campus in Durham, North Carolina. Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Walberg, who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee, said DKU specialised in 'high-technology fields with direct military applications' and, due to exchange opportunities, many of its students gained access to federally funded US research. That, they argued, was a problem because of the Chinese Communist Party's 'well-documented efforts to exploit academic openness'.
Arab News
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Arab News
Saudi-US business ties grow through deeper partnerships
RIYADH: Mutual investments between Saudi Arabia and the US are expanding in key sectors as industry leaders from both countries eye deeper partnerships and co-development opportunities. Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Saudi-US Investment Forum, held during US President Donald Trump's state visit to the Kingdom on Tuesday, Joseph Rank, vice president and CEO of Lockheed Martin for Saudi Arabia and Africa, said that enhanced partnerships are paving the way for two-way investments. 'This is an opportunity to really enhance our partnership and grow business. There's actually almost too many to talk about. But the real key is growing our partnership, which then leads to investment on both sides,' Rank said. Lockheed Martin's role in the Kingdom is shifting from traditional collaboration to advanced manufacturing and technology sharing, Rank said. 'We used to build things here. Now we're actually manufacturing things here. So the big opportunity is manufacturing, co-production, co-development and transfer of technology,' he said. 'This is jobs for Lockheed Martin in the US and jobs for Saudi industry here. A win-win-win.' Marc Winterhoff, interim CEO of electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Group Inc., stressed the importance of Saudi Arabia as a manufacturing base, with its King Abdullah Economic City facility expected to reach a 150,000-unit capacity. 'We have very, very close ties to Saudi Arabia, both from an investment point of view, but also we're building a big plant in KAEC here,' he said, adding that 65 percent of the workforce is currently made up of Saudi citizens. 'There's a lot of investment going into this plant to build vehicles for the local market, but then also for exports.' Winterhoff said Lucid is also working with Saudi research institutions, including King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, to co-develop advanced technologies like artificial intelligence models, autonomous driving, and crash simulation. Sadek Wahba, chairman and managing partner of I Squared Capital, echoed the sentiment, describing the forum as a reflection of enduring US-Saudi economic cooperation and the role infrastructure will play in future development. 'The event represents the best of what you can find in Saudi in the cooperation that can exist between the United States and Saudi Arabia. 'Cooperation that already exists for the last decades, and I think will continue to flourish over the coming period,' Wahba said. He said the company sees significant opportunity in Saudi Arabia's infrastructure sector, particularly in telecoms, digital infrastructure, transport and logistics. • $1billion+ Planned investment by I Squared Capital, with backing from the Saudi PIF and others. • 65% Of Lucid's workforce in the Kingdom is made up of Saudi citizens. The biggest investment opportunities are in transport and logistics, he said, citing the growing needs of a rapidly developing economy. Wahba also announced a memorandum of understanding with the Public Investment Fund to establish a Middle East infrastructure fund focused mainly on Saudi Arabia. 'I Squared Capital is looking to invest over $1 billion over the coming years, and PIF and others will be contributing to that effort,' he said. Meanwhile, Kathy Warden, president and CEO of Northrop Grumman Corp., emphasized the company's longstanding partnership with the Kingdom and its commitment to investing in defense and local talent. Warden said that the company signed a memorandum of intent with the Saudi government's General Authority of Military Industries to procure capabilities from Northrop Grumman, which total nearly $14 billion. The US company is also partnering locally with Saudi Arabian Military Industries to deliver its capabilities. 'These investments will contribute to the security and safety of the Kingdom and also create local jobs that are high-skilled engineering jobs,' she added. From a technology perspective, Chris Rouland, founder and CEO of Phosphorus Cybersecurity Inc., emphasized the need to secure AI and data-driven systems as Saudi Arabia ramps up its digital transformation. 'I think one thing that was overlooked in today's conversations was the importance of security in artificial intelligence,' Rouland said. 'Just as security and safety has made the Kingdom such a great place to do business, security and privacy are very important for AI and data centers.' He said that the company is exploring a joint venture in Saudi Arabia aimed at securing Internet of Things infrastructure and AI systems to prevent exploitation by cybercriminals. The forum underscored the Kingdom's growing role as a magnet for American industry leaders seeking to invest in sectors aligned with Vision 2030 — from defense and infrastructure to advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity — reinforcing Saudi-US economic ties built on shared long-term objectives.
Malay Mail
14-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Malaysia, Italy move towards formal defence partnership with new MoU talks, says Khaled Nordin
BERLIN, May 14 — Malaysia and Italy have agreed to initiate a strategic partnership in the field of defence, including a proposed government-to-government (G2G) memorandum of understanding (MoU) on asset procurement. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said his bilateral meeting with Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto yesterday, held on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 here, marked the first engagement of its kind. He said the meeting was initiated at Italy's request, signalling its interest in deepening defence ties with Malaysia. 'Malaysia welcomes Italy's intention and sees it as an opportunity to enhance defence relations not only through asset procurement, but also through strategic cooperation, including technology transfer that truly benefits the development of our local defence industry,' he said when met here. According to Mohamed Khaled, Malaysia has previously procured military assets from Italy and now seeks to build on that relationship to pave the way for more meaningful collaboration, particularly in terms of local capability development. 'We want every procurement to come with effective technology transfer, not just symbolic gestures. This is crucial to ensure that we are not merely end users, but are also capable of developing our own defence industry,' he said. Mohamed Khaled added that Italy also expressed interest in G2G acquisitions, which are proven to be more transparent, cost-effective, and offer stronger guarantees for the recipient country. He explained that G2G arrangements enable the country to avoid third-party interference, while the supplying government can provide direct assurance in cases of delays or failure to deliver assets. As a comparison, he noted that Malaysia already has a similar procurement agreement with Türkiye and is considering such cooperation with South Korea. 'That is why we scrutinise every proposal carefully and assess the sincerity of our partner countries — not just in terms of pricing, but also their willingness to share technology and establish long-term collaboration,' he stressed. He emphasised that Malaysia's primary objective is to ensure that any form of cooperation contributes to the long-term development and strengthening of its national defence industry. — Bernama
Arab News
13-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi assistant defense minister meets Korean official
Saudi Arabia's Assistant Minister of Defense Talal Al-Otaibi met with Korean Minister of Defense Acquisition Program Administration Seok Jong-gun. During the meeting, they discussed 'promising cooperation opportunities in the field of military industries, technology transfer and localization, and defense research and development in line with Saudi Vision 2030,' the Saudi ministry's official account wrote in a post on X on Tuesday. Al-Otaibi also held a meeting with Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom Yasunari Morino, and they discussed bilateral relations and various topics of common interest.
