KFUPM to the Fifth Place in the Number of Patents

• KFUPM surpasses prestigious universities such as Caltech, Texas, Harvard and John Hopkins

• Building a unique innovative system that helped KFUPM reach this advanced position

• Success did not stop at the filing of patents, but also support of the national economy with business entities based on the innovations of KFUPM members

King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) rose to the fifth place worldwide in the number of patents among universities for the year 2018 with 237 patents filed in the US Patent Office according to IFI CLAIMS website, which is specialized in supplying international industries with annual reports on patents.

KFUPM has surpassed prestigious international universities such as the University of Texas, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Harvard College and Johns Hopkins University, in patent filing.

By the end of 2018, the University's total number of patents had risen to 1,040 patents filed in the US Patent Office, making a significant development in innovation. After having only five patents in 2005, KFUPM reached the top five universities in the world in the number of patents in 2018.

KFUPM Rector, Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad, said that this advanced position was the result of the University's success in building an innovative and integrated system. KFUPM paved the way for its success by focusing on excellence in basic research. Then establishing Dhahran Techno Valley, which is considered the world’s largest gathering of oil and gas research centers. The Valley system includes an innovation center, an entrepreneurship institute and an advanced modeling center.

He explained that KFUPM began to appear in the lists of major filers of patents since 2011, when it came in the 55th place in the world. KFUPM continued to rise in places to reach the 13th position in 2015, seventh position in 2016, and currently among the top 5 universities in the world.

The Vice Rector of KFUPM for Applied Studies and Research, Dr. Nasser Al-Aqeeli emphasized that the success of KFUPM did not stop at the filing of patents, but continue on licensing and marketing in order to support the national economy with industrial or commercial entities working to transform KFUPM innovations into technical products. He pointed out that KFUPM has licensed a number of its innovations and connected them to international markets through alliances with international bodies. There are a number of local and international startup companies founded due to KFUPM patents.

KFUPM Patents, Licensing and Commercializing Activities

A license is a legal right granted to a company that submits an integrated project plan for the use of the filed invention, sell, manufacture or selling it for a price called "license payment" (a small percentage of the profits of the company resulting from the use of the licensed invention) or a single payment to KFUPM. Another option is to give the exclusive right to the applied company to evaluate and experience the invention for a limited period, in preparation for the signing and implementation of the license agreement in the near future.

Some technologies are licensed for commercializing purposes to the following companies:

PETROGISTIX

Petroleum & Energy Logistics and Services Company (Petrogistix) is a Saudi company that has shown interest in commercializing a filed patent for KFUPM. This technology, recently called ScavangerX, is a chemical used as an additive in oil and gas fields to control the toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, which is usually produced during the oil and gas production process. Petrogistix signed a negotiating option agreement on licensing with KFUPM in November 2018. The success of this technology required significant operational costs as well as its infrastructure (about US $ 200 million) to inject ScavangerX during oil and gas operations. The Company plans to assess the market size of this technology and deliver it to the end user for technical evaluation.

SAS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

SAS Environmental Services, a British company based in the USA, signed a negotiating option agreement on licensing in December 2018. The technology is a new chemical product that allows oil companies to process different residues produced during drilling and production in oil and gas fields. This product is unique in its way of operation and provides a solution that significantly improves the benefits of health, safety and environment. The company hopes to adopt an integration approach by integrating its technologies in the field of fine emulsions with KFUPM technology in order to provide greater advantages and set new standards for industrial performance.

WATCHTOWER CO.

KFUPM produced a package of patents in the field of "fluid leak detection" in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This technology is an automated robot that explores pipes in a way that does not affect the flow and services of water, so that it can be inserted into water pipes, taps and three-way intersections. Using an advanced analytical system, the robot is able to produce maps showing the size and location of the leak and then send it to the pipeline operator. A graduate of MIT established a start-up company in the United States called Watchtower Co., and signed a negotiating option agreement in August 2018. The company is currently planning additional tests and developments. It is expected to collect investments to support its business and technical activities.

TELAA
In November 2017, KFUPM signed a negotiating option agreement on licensing for Tella, a start-up Saudi company, which invested in the invention of recycled rubber crumbs mixed with other chemicals to produce corrosion-resistant coatings applied to steel surfaces to help maintain environment and natural resources. The invention is low cost and high performance especially for oil and gas pipelines. The exclusive option allows the company sufficient time to complete proof of the concept in practice according to its plan (development, laboratory and field tests, end-user approvals, and commercial registration) and provides a detailed plan of action.

MN-CHEM

In July 2017, an invention for water control in oil and gas wells was licensed to the Modern National Chemicals (MN-CHEM), a 100% local company leading in the production and manufacturing of petroleum chemical technologies for oil and gas fields. For each barrel of oil produced globally, three barrels of water are produced on average. The projected global cost of treating the produced water is eight billion dollars by 2020. This KFUPM invention is a new technology that helps reduce the number of barrels of water produced per barrel of oil extracted when injected into wells. The technology has been extensively tested in the University labs with the results showing that this technology outweighs the competitive products. In the next phase, in cooperation with the company that obtained the commercial use license from KFUPM, the technology will be tested in the end-user laboratory before field testing. The company expects the product to reach the market by 2020 after the development of technology for the industrial use, test of performance in industry and product registration with many end-users.

ADANI

In November 2014, KFUPM licensed a non-exclusive prototype for Adani based in Belarus. The license allows the company to sell a prototype, manufactured to test KFUPM technology filed in the US Patent Office (an electrochemical cell – inexpensive, recyclable to an academic institution for research purposes. The application of the manufactured cell has been successfully proven in pharmaceutical applications. The invention is inexpensive, easy to use and allows for accurate analysis of many related electrochemical problems.

GRADIANT

In July 2013, KFUPM and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) granted an exclusive license to the US-based Gradient Corporation for a range of inventions related to water purification and desalination process. The invented process is a new type of dehumidification system, which requires less energy than conventional systems. It provides advantages for multi-phase desalination and reverse osmosis desalination in the treatment of high water salinity. Having achieved initial success in providing water treatment services to its US customers, the company is now planning to expand its operations in China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

AXENS

Axens French and Stone & Webster International (a US company subsequently acquired by Technip) obtained a license from KFUPM in 2010 for “High-severity fluid catalytic cracking” (HS-FCC) which was developed by KFUPM in cooperation with Nippon Oil Corporation (Japan) and Saudi Aramco. This technology is used to produce light olefins and aromatic compounds with high market value. The process is characterized by the production of a stable stock of propylene and light olefins with a revenue of up to 40%. The technology can be applied to the production of light olefins and benzene compounds with high productivity free of heavy residues resulting from oil distillation. Axens and Stone & Webster acquired the rights to market the technology, design the process modules and sub-license for marketing the technology. In 2015, the two companies licensed the technology to S-Oil Corporation in South Korea, which would help refineries maximize the production of propylene and other high-value refining products.

Technical License Agreements in the near future:

There are possible agreements and licenses that KFUPM will implement in 2018/2019, including:

MN-CHEM

The Modern National Chemical Company has expressed its desire to cooperate in the development and commercialization of the technology related to corrosion inhibiting that has been invented in KFUPM laboratories. The chemical composition is very effective and prevents corrosion using the least possible concentration of the inhibitory substance (50 ppm). The agreement between KFUPM and the company is currently being negotiated to facilitate the research and analysis of the invention technical and marketing details. Meanwhile, the Modern National Chemical Company is negotiating with end-users and examining the needs of product development and testing before actually experimenting it on the ground.

Black Gold Industrial Co.

Black Gold Industrial Company has expressed its desire to license one of KFUPM filed patents entitled "Method for the production of sodium bentonite". The company expressed its desire to discuss the possibility of licensing the invention to obtain the legal rights to use, manufacture, sell and market the above product. The non-disclosure agreement was signed between the two parties.

KFUPM technologies, currently invested by Dhahran Techno Valley Company:

In order to reduce the risk of investment to entrepreneurs and investors who want to form start-up companies or license developed technologies to existing companies in the labor market, the efficiency of the technology must be verified and developed according to the desired applications. KFUPM has introduced a list of technologies to Dhahran Techno Valley Company (DTVC), in order to obtain financing for the development of the product / technology. The technologies listed in the lists below have been selected based on their commercial value and the company is currently investing in developing them.

A number of technologies were presented on November 1, 2018 to the Investment Review Panel of Dhahran Techno Valley Company. The following technologies are approved for investment:

The method of operation and the composition of new cracking liquids used for the production of oil, a triple-sensor for sensing industrial gases, a corrosion inhibitor chemical compound, an oil-based pyrite compound for the removal of oil-resistant sediments, a compound for the removal of mercury from petroleum products, a synchronization plan to improve weak network infrastructure, a simple and inexpensive way to produce zeolite catalysts.

A number of other technologies were proposed to the Investment Review Panel of Dhahran Techno Valley Company in February 2019:

Smart electricity meters, corrosion-resistant and rust-proof coatings for protection of steel structures, intelligent sensors for gas detection, high absorption material to remove sulfur compounds from fuel, hollow building blocks with high thermal insulation, sensor for temperature, virtual simulation platforms in information centers, acidic fluid to remove iron sulfate compounds and calcium carbonate from oil production wells, automated funnel system to test the properties of oil drilling fluids, a device for producing carbon nanotubes.

Joint cooperation with industry in commercializing technology:

In the same context, KFUPM has established a joint cooperation with industry in commercializing technology. The inventions produced by the scientific research of universities sometimes lack the compatibility of the needs and requirements of the industry. Obtaining an opportunity to license inventions requires a certain technical level that helps attract the attention of companies involved in the relevant field of invention. In order to bridge this gap between the outputs of the basic scientific research provided by the universities and the requirements of industry, KFUPM is constantly striving to establish strategic industrial partnerships to support and develop technology. In this regard, we note below some strategic partnerships between KFUPM and industry:

Cooperation with Yokogawa Company to develop technology to control and improve the performance of industrial valves

In December 2012, KFUPM signed a joint cooperation agreement with Yokogawa Company, based in Dhahran Techno Valley. The technology was developed with the cooperation of University researchers and the company to control and improve the performance of valves used in the industry.

Cooperation with Yokogawa Company to develop technology to improve gas separation efficiency

In November 2015, KFUPM signed a joint cooperation agreement with Yokogawa. The University is currently developing a decision-making tool that will help improve the efficiency of the separation of oil in order to obtain optimum specifications by taking into consideration the surrounding factors such as temperature changes and changes in the quality of oil.

Cooperation with Halliburton in the areas of technology development for commercialization

KFUPM will soon sign a joint research and development agreement with Halliburton Company, which has a research and development center in Dhahran Techno Valley. The implementation of the agreement is expected to result in joint patents of high commercial value, given the importance of the areas covered by the agreement, including very advanced applications in the oil and gas industry.