BPTT's focus on education and developing capability to drive Trinidad and Tobago's industrial growth beyond the energy sector has been the key driver for the company's investment in the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).
UTT was established by the Government in 2004 as a part of its commitment to make tertiary level education available to all while also increasing the pool of technically skilled nationals to help resource the country's aggressive industrial development.
Since inception, one of UTT's focus areas has been the establishment of a research and development (R&D) programme. Over the years Pete Smith, a business and university leader and associate provost and professor at UTT, has helped lay the foundation for UTT's R&D programme.
Smith, who has been part of BP operations worldwide for 25-odd years, was seconded by bpTT in October 2004 following a request from the Trinidad and Tobago Government.
Trained as a reservoir engineer and researcher, Smith joined BP's global research team. He led the development of scholastic tools for understanding multi-phase fuel-flow and was previously a government scientist at the institute of hydrology.
Today Smith leads the development of the research and training portfolio at UTT. He is also responsible for UTT's collaboration and curriculum knowledge sharing with industry-based companies and international universities.
Smith explained that BP's interest in UTT followed a US$10 million investment offer made to the University by former BP Chief Executive Officer, Lord John Browne.
"Browne believed that a strong educational system was crucial to the function of this hydrocarbon rich republic and was key to accessing and unleashing the full potential of its people," said Smith. "He also believed that this support, through the development of UTT, must focus on high quality research in science and technology," adding that UTT was built upon the collaboration of industry and established global learning partners.
Smith explained that with Trinidad and Tobago's small size, undertaking research and development objectives meant that focus needed to be placed on specifically selected areas and not spread too thinly over a wide range of research areas.
With Smith's guidance, UTT and bpTT agreed on four principle R&D areas:

• Post Graduate Education Sponsorship aimed at increasing the number of Ph.D. qualified resources in critical disciplines for teaching R&D;
• Marine sciences which will address sustainable management of tropical marine and coastal areas;
• An Animal Production Lab to further develop the buffalypso food resource produced form a crossbreed of water buffalos in Trinidad and Tobago. The buffalypso is an excellent food resource as it is free of the major livestock diseases that limit international meat trade;
• Renewable Energy in the forms of wind, wave and solar energy.

Smith said the version of UTT's R&D programme stemmed from the need to engender internationally competitive local industries beyond the energy sector and to stimulate and create this country's industry to a world competitive level."UTT's vision goes to the heart of collaboration, building alliances and bringing the best academics into play as we incorporate top of the line R&D facilities," said Smith, adding that UTT has formed strong alliances with many external stakeholders and international universities including Cambridge University and the University of Texas.
One of Smith's key contributions to R&D in Trinidad and Tobago has been the organization of the Tobago Gas Technology Conference in 2006 and 2007.
He said with the increasing interest in the development of gas technology there was a nedd for a forum where community technologists and scientists from research and industry could get together, interact and discuss topical issues. Smith also led a group or agriculture specialist to examine the development of training programmes and R&D in the area of food and agriculture. This led to UTT's centre for Bioscience and Food Production Technology.
With just about four years at UTT, Smith had also been appointed as Professor in Practice and also heads the national committee on developing a photovoltaic solar business in Trinidad and Tobago.
"Even with all the oil and gas that we have now, a sound education was needed co channel such wealth. It's simply putting the hydrocarbon wealth into educating, developing and inspiring the people of this country. A single industrial magic bullet certainly would not save Trinidad and Tobago's prosperity in the future, unless great R&D procedures are put in place over time," said Smith.