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The conclusion of the OPEC workshop emphasized the important role of information technology during the coronavirus crisis

22-09-2020

The second workshop on energy and information technology, organized by the General Secretariat of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), concluded in Vienna on Tuesday. According to OPEC press release more than 200 delegates representing OPEC member states, industry, government, and research institutions participated in the workshop. The statement said that many speakers pointed to the major contributions that information technology has made in providing a stable and secure energy supply during the coronavirus crisis and changing the way people live and work. The video conference also focused on topical issues such as robots, cyber security, artificial intelligence, Baluchin technology and how they can drive innovation in OPEC member countries and industry in general. The Secretary-General of OPEC said in a speech, the oil industry since its early days in the nineteenth century has been a pioneer in the development and use of technologies for the benefit of global development and human progress, that has become in the twenty-first century leading technological innovation along with a highly skilled and experienced workforce. The workshop was moderated by the Director-General of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and the Acting Secretary-General and Director of Research in OPEC, Dr. Adnan Shihab-al-Din. In their interventions, panelists noted that blue hydrogen has enormous potential in the areas of transportation as it provides a temporary fuel, while the Secretary-General indicated that Japan and Australia provide a potential model for how this technology can develop and how OPEC can benefit from their valuable experiences. The Secretary-General noted the transformative role that innovation and technology can play in meeting the rapid growth in energy demand in the future, as robots’ other innovations for example, help improve productivity, maximize efficiency, safety, and increase efficiency across the value chain. The Secretary-General of OPEC also pointed out that the Corona virus crisis ushered in a digital era that brought about huge changes in ways of working. The first workshop was held in September of the year 2019.