KUWAIT, September 6, 2020 — The EQUATE Group today announced its third internationally patented invention – an innovative ‘Mobile Non-Destructive Testing Inspection’ robot that will increase safety, efficiency and quality during maintenance of its facilities.
The robotic solution, successfully patented through the United States Patent & Trademark Office, was invented by a team of EQUATE engineers that included Soud Al-Deweesh, Yousef Al-Haddad, Abdulrahman Al-Mutawaa, Yousef Safar and Abdullah Al-Ruwayeh, in collaboration with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and the Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC).
The invention demonstrates EQUATE’s commitment to innovation, and a continuous drive to promote an environment of technological platform for human capital advancement. The new robot enables new levels of access to confined locations during maintenance inspections without human intervention, this means uncompromising safety and efficiency standards across every element of the business.
Nawaf Al-Khaledi, Vice President for Technical Services at EQUATE Group, said: “EQUATE has always encouraged innovation to effectively improve as a global organization. The invention is a measurable improvement in the use of effective technology to support and advance maintenance. This robotic solution will not only keep employees safe, but also improve productivity levels, cost and time efficiencies for our business.
Nawaf added: “On behalf of everyone in the EQUATE Group, I extend our congratulations on the new invention to the team of engineers and every member who played a role in this success.”
EQUATE’s commitment to innovation has been recognized on multiple occasions, including additional internationally patented inventions by EQUATE colleagues Suhaim Al-Hajeri in 2017, and Nabeel Al-Kandari in 2019. The achievements align with Kuwait’s Global Innovation Index – an international framework followed by the country to improve its innovation landscape, and the Kuwait Vision 2035 presented by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
About EQUATE Group
The EQUATE Group is a global producer of petrochemicals and the world’s second-largest producer of ethylene glycol (EG). The Group owns and operates industrial complexes in Kuwait, North America and Europe that annually produce over 6 million tons of ethylene, ethylene glycol (EG), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), styrene monomer (SM), paraxylene (PX), heavy aromatics (HA) and benzene (BZ). The EQUATE Group includes EQUATE Petrochemical Company (EQUATE), The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC), subsidiaries such as MEGlobal and Equipolymers. Their products are marketed throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The EQUATE Group’s shareholders are Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Employing more than 1,500 people worldwide, the EQUATE Group is a leading enterprise that pursues sustainability wherever it operates through partnerships in fields that include the environment, economy and society.