Twenty-four startups from the seventh TAQADAM cohort at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology are gearing up to pitch their business ideas to investors at the final showcase taking place on March 3, 2024. Of the original 42 startups...

 KAUST Beacon Development, in coordination with MEWA, is on target to reel in an abundant supply of fresh local fish to transform the food economy of Saudi Arabia. Off the coast of Saudi Arabia north of Jeddah, sixteen net enclosures float...

Thya Technology’s visual detection model is used to process large datasets; shown here, a culture of red blood cells. Photo courtesy Zenaida Stead.

KAUST startups iStoria and Seavo don’t have much in common at face value. iStoria is a self-study English learning app. Seavo develops electric, e-mobile water scooters. What the startups do share is a competitive edge that sets them apart from other startups, thanks to the power of TAQADAM.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology spinout WAYAKIT, a bio-tech company, has partnered with Saudi Ground Services to provide sustainable cleaning solutions for the airline industry.

Students from across Saudi Arabia competed in a KAUST-hosted, AI hackathon to solve some of the field’s toughest challenges in the areas of language, bias and safety.

A new agreement between KAUST and LONGi, a global solar industry leader, will accelerate the development and deployment of innovative solar technologies for the demanding environmental conditions in the Kingdom.

KAUST startup Excyton has developed a novel display technology called “TurboLED” that saves the battery power of digital devices while delivering more color — a first-of-its-kind innovation in the display technology arena.

The effects of climate change are already impacting the agricultural industry in the MENA region — temperatures, water shortages and droughts are increasing while crop yields are decreasing. It’s a challenging situation that will impact the region’s economy, food security...

A KAUST-invented, portable wastewater treatment plant has demonstrated success, delivering sanitized clean water for communities without access to centralized sewage services.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) announced the opening of a new commercial Tier III Data Center in partnership with Global Data Hub (GDH), a Dubai-based data center space provider. The opening ceremony took place on March 9,...

KAUST-based startup Proteinea is growing in the fast-growing world of biotherapeutics by creating a smarter, faster and safer protein engineering platform.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has partnered with the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA) to host the  KSA Marine Finfish Nutrition and Novel Feed Formulation Forum on May 17 – 18, 2023 in Riyadh....

In a world buzzing with technological advancements, it’s crucial to have a bridge connecting groundbreaking research with real-world applications. KAUST’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO), a dynamic hub that thrives on bringing ideas to life and making a tangible impact. With...

KAUST and The Garage by KACST have partnered to spin-in international deep tech startup to the Kingdom. KAUST’s Destination

While their businesses couldn’t be more different, TAQADAM 2022 graduates Kitchefy and Takadao shared similar experiences and even benefited from each other’s diverse backgrounds, support, and successes during the intense, six-month-long accelerator experience as they both looked to innovate centuries-old...

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has launched “Dear AI,” an International Women’s Day campaign and hackathon to tackle gender bias and the under-representation of women in AI software.

TAQADAM, one of the longest running accelerator programs in the Middle East, awarded a funding pool of US$1 million to 10 startups at its annual accelerator showcase on March 1, 2023. The showcase marks the sixth year of the accelerator,...

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) announced that subsidiary Beacon Development (KBD) is a key partner in the ambitious Heart of Arabia expedition across Saudi Arabia. The data and observations generated by the Heart of Arabia team will support the...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and KAUST co-hosted an International Workshop on Algae Innovation in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA) of Saudi Arabia. The one-day event focused on exploring the current state and future prospects for microalgae and macroalgae culture and commercialization in the Middle East and North Africa region.

A look into some of the most ground-breaking Saudi technologies to come from KAUST Innovation's ecosystem.

After receiving a KAUST Research Translation Grant, KAUST Professor, Peiying Hong, partnered with the MODON to turn a prototype for her development into a pilot program for her anaerobic wastewater treatment process.

KAUST Associate Professor Peiying Hong has developed a new, zero-energy technology that may hold the key to transforming wastewater sustainability and recycling that is being piloted by MODON.

KAUST startup Red Sea Farms has signed an MoU with SAUDIA – the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia.

KAUST has signed MoU with the Ministry of Culture Fashion Commission with plans tackle sustainable fashion initiatives by developing new materials, technology, startups and developing local talent.

THUWAL, SAUDI ARABIA,  DATE X, 2022 – King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Electrical Services Polytechnic (SESP), a leading center of vocational learning in power utility...

KAUST startup Edama has opened its new recycling facility located in the KAUST Research and Technology Park.

KAUST Innovation is developing deep tech solutions to combat climate change in the KSA and beyond. Here's how.

Over the past few years, a wave of agtech (agriculture technology) startups has flourished to address food scarcity challenges. Here are some KAUST startups redefining the MENA region.

KAUST held its in-person Entrepreneurship Adventures bootcamp June 16 - 18, 2022, to continue their entrepreneurial journey.

Our KAUST Innovation Annual Report highlights the impact we’ve had growing Saudi Arabia’s deep tech ecosystem. Read the new interactive report to learn more about where we’re going in 2022 and beyond.

KAUST professor Pascal Saikaly saw the urgent need for more widespread—and effective—wastewater treatment and invented a portable wastewater treatment system for commercial use with the support of KAUST Innovation.

KAUST held the first-ever 'Empowering Saudi Women Through Entrepreneurship' program, developed in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin’s Global Innovation Lab (GIL), a unit of Texas Global, and the U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah.

KAUST startup Lithium Infinity (Lihytech) has announced its partnership with Suntar International to develop cutting-edge lithium extraction technology from seawater to solve the surging demand for the metal.

Attracting deep tech companies sets Saudi up to create a diverse knowledge-based economy focused on solving urgent problems. Here are four companies at KAUST working toward commercializing their scientific breakthroughs.

As a new cohort of TAQADAM founders and startups is about to begin, we spoke with some startup graduates to find out the impact TAQADAM had on the growth and trajectory of their companies. Here’s what they had to say:...

KAUST has quickly become the deep tech heart of Saudi Arabia. By partnering with TNW on Destination Deep Tech, we’re deepening our commitment even more, helping high-potential startups in the space put down roots in KSA.

KAUST startups are making strides to fight climate change in Saudi Arabia and the world. Here's how.

KAUST has announced the signing of an MoU with Monsha’at and a membership to the KAUST Industry Collaboration Program (KICP) on March 27, 2022 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The exciting development will formalize ongoing collaborations while also providing a framework...

KAUST startup Mirai Solar has developed a new type of solar panel that turns shade into power. Read how they're making an impact and how KAUST helped them grow.

Red Sea Farms, the Saudi Arabia and UAE AgTech business whose one-of-a-kind technology enables commercial farming using a low energy, zero freshwater sustainable climate control, announces a $18.5 million strategic fund raise.

Sean Flanigan, Director of Technology Commercialization, deep dives into how KAUST Innovation is bridging the gap from research to market to overcome the "Valley of Death".

“…heroes are the dreamers, those men and women who tried to make the world a better place than when they found it…” – George R.R. Martin Entrepreneurs are visionaries, dreamers — they are heroes. They develop concepts, plan, and visions...

Here's how Red Sea Farms is breaking the food-water-energy nexus to create an AgTech solution to climate change and resource scarcity with the help of KAUST.

KAUST Innovation Ventures (KIV) provides investments up to Series A stage for seed to early-stage startups to support our vision of developing KAUST-affiliated technology companies that will bring economic and societal impact to Saudi Arabia. Here's how to get funding.

KAUST and the MEWA have announced a collaboration to develop technologies to produce animal feed using local algae and establish a sustainable feed industry in Saudi Arabia.

A deep dive into the four major KAUST deep tech startups that will change the Middle East.

KAUST and partner Saudi British Bank (SABB) today previewed 23 startups—eight from Saudi Arabia and 15 international—and 58 founders during its annual TAQADAM Startup Accelerator Showcase.

By some estimates, 305 million new startups launch each year. That’s nearly nine startups for every Saudi. Even the tech and innovation space is massively saturated, with 1.35 million launching annually.

KAUST has announced the signing of an MoU with the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Entrepreneurship is thriving in Saudi Arabia — and events like the TAQADAM Accelerator Showcase shine a bright light on this fast-evolving landscape.

The Suliman S. Olayan Foundation and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) broke ground on Wednesday, February 23, for The Suliman S. Olayan Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) joined as the Innovation Partner to both the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab Region for the Startup Competition Finals and MITEF Saudi Arabia in Al-Madinah Al-Munawara in Saudi Arabia.

It’s the event that redefines entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia and beyond — and, year after year, continues to raise the bar on creativity, innovation and technology. And this year is no exception.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) hosted an ideation challenge in partnership with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and Saudi Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI).

These deep tech startups are poised create impact in Saudi Arabia and beyond in 2022.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a partner with LEAP, a conference bringing the global technology community under one roof to tackle some of the globe’s biggest technology challenges.

NEOM has announced the adoption of KAUST startup NOMADD’s fully autonomous waterless robotic cleaning solution, to help realize NEOM’s solar power generation ambitions. NEOM is a region that is currently under construction in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. This giga-project...

2021 was a game-changing year for KAUST's Entrepreneurship Centre, here's why.

KAUST's online learning manager, Haitham Al Humsi, shares his expertise on the importance of open education as a critical personal and economic driver.

Hattan Ahmed deep dives into why 71,000 learners signed up for KAUST's first-ever Arabic Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on entrepreneurship.

KAUST startups Natufia and Edama are international winners in NASA's competitive Deep Space Food Challenge.

KAUSTxSandsoft Game Jam is a wrap—but the creativity and innovation emerging from this exciting event continue to build momentum. Last week, over 250 designers, developers, engineers, and gaming enthusiasts dove into the ultimate challenge: the KAUSTxSandsoft Game Jam. For 48...

KAUST has welcomed three new industry partners at the 12th annual meeting of the KAUST Industry Advisory Board (KIAB).

The University of Texas at Austin’s Global Innovation Lab (GIL) is hosting the Empowering Saudi Women Through Entrepreneurship program in partnership with the KAUST with funding awarded by the U.S. Consulate General Jeddah.

Since 2016, KAUST and SABB have worked closely to create, promote, and grow the TAQADAM Startup Accelerator. Here's how together they are building an entreprenuerial community in Saudia Arabia.

Abdulrahman M. Aljiffry, Entrepreneurship Collaboration Manager, shares his insights on the power of TAQADAM, standing out as a startup and Saudi Arabia's entrepreneurial landscape.

Two KAUST startups are finalists in the 2021 Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC), the world’s largest global pitch competition that has supported more than 300,000 entrepreneurs from 200 different countries.

KAUST's Entrepreneurship MOOC had 17,000 learners attending the 10-week course.

Since graduating from TAQADAM, Taffi founder Shahad Geoffrey has seen her business go from strength to strength.

KAUST's Head of Entrepreneurship Centre, Hattan Ahmed, shares his insights on the benefits of building an entrepreneurial community and the role of a startup community in risk-taking and overcoming the fear of failure.

A KAUST-developed COVID-19 RT-PCR test, the Kingdom’s first, is now SFDA-approved. KAUST startup Noor DX launched the service at KAUST Health last week.

KAUST has become a member of the Saudi Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (VCPEA), an industry body representing the Kingdom’s venture capital sector.

Even a global pandemic couldn’t keep these diverse KAUST startups from growing, accelerating and excelling.

NEOM Company and KAUST are partnering to establish the world's largest coral garden at Shushah Island in the Red Sea area of NEOM, in northwest Saudi Arabia.

KAUST has opened registrations for its first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) “Entrepreneurship Adventures” scheduled to start on July 4.

Red Sea Farms, a Saudi Arabian AgTech business whose one-of-a-kind technology enables the commercial farming of produce using primarily salt water, received a $10 million venture capital investment today from a group of leading Saudi and UAE investors.

​KAUST startup Wayakit has inaugurated its first production pilot plant in Saudi Arabia with Mexican ambassador Aníbal Gómez in attendance as an honorary guest. The plant will increase the startup's production capacity by up to 20,000 liters of cleaning and disinfection bio-formulations per day.

By Kevin Cullen, Vice President for Innovation at KAUST 2020 was a year of tremendous challenges and it highlighted the need for KAUST to deliver our mission to create meaningful impact in Saudi Arabia and beyond. Faced with a global...

KAUST recently announced a new partnership with US-based Zapata Computing, a Harvard spinout and one of the world’s leading quantum software companies.

KAUST startup, UnitX Technologies has joined NVIDIA Inception, a program designed to nurture startups revolutionizing industries with advancements in AI and data sciences.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Tuesday announced their collaboration with Tabadul, Saudi Arabia’s leading digital logistics services provider, to undertake research and innovation projects which aim to create solutions to advance global trade in Saudi Arabia.

KAUST signed a partnership with the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), to achieve investment opportunities in the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector, build a digital transformation strategy and develop artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives.

TAQADAM Startup Accelerator graduate Firnas Aero is an innovative DaaS startup (drone-as-a-service) designed to spot delay-causing debris on airport runways. Today, they’re a thriving business based out of KAUST’s Research Technology Park — and their innovative use cases and global interest is booming.

Using Zapata’s quantum workflows platform, Orquestra, KAUST will explore how quantum computing can simulate and optimize the aerodynamic design process for vehicles.

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders.

For the fifth year in a row, we’re inviting entrepreneurs from Saudi Arabia and beyond to apply for the TAQADAM Startup Accelerator. One of MENA’s top accelerators, TAQADAM helps startups at all stages of growth define, launch, and promote their big ideas.

At the beginning of March, when the world got its first glimpse into the COVID-19 abyss, we at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) found ourselves faced with a unique and pressing challenge

It started with nearly 561 startups, each vying for a spot in the 2020 TAQADAM Startup Accelerator. Now, one year — and a global pandemic — later, the final 37 startups hit the (virtual) stage as part of the fourth TAQADAM Startup Accelerator Showcase.

Since 2016, a global entrepreneurship hub and a future-focused bank have come together in support of game-changing progress. The secret to success? Find a good partner — one that believes in your vision and wants to make it happen as much you do.

No matter how hard 2020 pushed, these founders pushed right back. Now, on March 10, the world will get a sneak peek at TAQADAM’s latest graduates — 37 innovative startups ready to change the world — and the way we live, eat, share, and connect.

KAUST has welcomed Natufia, a leading startup tech company, to Saudi Arabia. The Estonia-founded company has developed the world's first smart indoor kitchen garden — providing technology to harvest herbs, leafy greens and vegetables at home.

37 graduates from the 2020 TAQADAM Startup Accelerator cohort will stand on (virtual) stage on March 10 and share their big ideas with the world. The goal? To be one of 11 teams to walk away with their share of more than 4,000,000 SR in funding.

Bruker Corporation and KAUST jointly announced the establishment of the Bruker Arabia office at the KAUST Research and Technology Park, furthering the trusted partnership between the two organizations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced educational institutions to rethink what it means to teach. Professor Dr Lama Hakem shares how KAUST Innovation adapted and what we learned along the way.

Improving food security is a goal of admirably ambitious proportions, but KAUST startup Red Sea Farms has already demonstrated its proprietary technology can go a long way to achieving it.

2020 was undoubtedly a disruptive year for startups around the world. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, some startups continued to grow and thrive. In Saudi Arabia, in particular, there are many examples of entrepreneurs innovating to solve problems, better our world and promote sustainability.

2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges that required us to shift and grow collectively. As we look to the year behind us, we can see through our achievements that KAUST and our startups have not just adapted but, rather, excelled through our dynamic and innovative approach.

Conscious investing is attempting to redress the balance by placing values at the forefront of investment decisions. Importantly, it doesn’t mean return on investment (ROI) is no longer a factor, simply that it isn’t the only factor, with the outcome being more funds allocated to ventures that seek to make a positive impact on the world.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) announced on December 16, 2020, a collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson to explore opportunities for research and innovation in the area of neglected tropical diseases with a specific...

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) formalized their collaboration with Lean Business Services, the digital arm of the health sector, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to continue R&D activities related to artificial intelligence (AI) and data science...

Media Release, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, November 2, 2020 AgriTech startup Red Sea Farms has found a new home at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to advance their saltwater greenhouse technology. The new state-of-the-art 2,000-square-meter  saltwater greenhouse pilot...

Media Release, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, October 28, 2020 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), a hub for deep tech research and innovation, announced on Wednesday the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first university engagement program intended specifically to foster...

KAUST and industry partners have made multiple breakthroughs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on everything from improved sanitization to the tracking of infected persons.

Media Release, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, October 14, 2020 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and its partner Saudi British Bank (SABB), will award SR10m to entrepreneurs participating in the fourth TAQADAM Startup Accelerator program. The zero-equity grants, which...

For the second year in a row, KAUST has partnered with Misk Foundation to present the 2020 Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC), the world's largest pitch competition

Media Release, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, October 12, 2020 For the second year in a row, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is partnering with Misk Global Forum (MGF) to support this year’s Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC). KAUST is providing...

Originally published on KAUST News   COVID–19 has had an unprecedented impact on almost every aspect of our lives. Strict lockdowns have kept most of us cooped up at home away from extended families and friends; office spaces are empty;...

International university-industry partnerships set to strengthen as KAUST connects to leading innovation companies and research universities. KAUST has officially announced its membership as the first entity in the Middle East to join the prestigious University-Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP). This places...

KAUST held the 11th annual meeting of its Industry Advisory Board (KIAB) virtually on September 2, 2020. The purpose of this years meeting was COVID-19 and focused on research, education and economic development opportunities with members of the KAUST Industry...

Originally published on KAUST News   KAUST has partnered with investment platform VentureSouq, startAD, the Abu Dhabi-based global accelerator anchored at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), and its partner Tamkeen, to launch the first Conscious Investor Fellowship in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The...

Originally published on KAUST News   Following the success of their composting pilot facility, Edama has received seed investment of $780,000 USD from the KAUST Innovation Fund. The University has also signed a contract to build a commercial-scale composting facility for the startup on its...

As leading scientists and medical professionals around the world work to develop a cure for COVID-19, KAUST partners in Saudi Arabia are making significant strides toward a solution. SaudiVax, a biopharmaceutical manufacturing company located in the KAUST Research & Technology Park, recently collaborated...

Globally, air travel is down over 55 percent compared to 2019 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Flight bookings are currently on a slight upswing, however, as countries gradually reopen their borders. As flights return, the challenge of maintaining a virus-free...

As Saudi Arabia’s leading research university, KAUST is a place where big ideas are given the room to grow. Founded a little over ten years ago, the university has already made a significant impression on the international stage for the...

In July 2020, KAUST welcomed Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), a global leader in enterprise technology, as the newest corporate tenant in the KAUST Research and Technology Park (KRTP). “We’re delighted to have HPE join our research park,” said Dr. Kevin Cullen, KAUST vice president...

The fourth TAQADAM Accelerator cohort has officially kicked off with 59 accepted startups, including 168 entrepreneurs from 10 Saudi cities, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Egypt. Over 1,750 startups applied to the program earlier this year. The hopeful graduates range from 23...

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) recently partnered with the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab Region (MITEF Pan Arab) for the Arab Startup Competition Finals which took place virtually this year on June 24, 2020. The online-only event...

In a time of global social distancing, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) embraced digital connectivity and hosted the COVID-19 Innovation Challenge with live pitches from six finalists on June 14, 2020. Shaped by the idea that out...

Sadeem, a KAUST startup spinout focused on early warning solutions for flash floods in urban environments, won first place in the World Bank Group’s Innovate4Climate Pitch Hub 2020 competition. On June 18, 2020, during a live virtual contest Innovate4Climate, the...

When word of a new virus first reached our ears around the turn of the year, few of us could have imagined the unprecedented impact it would have on our lives and livelihoods. Fast forward 6 months and we’ve seen...

KAUST recently partnered with Geeks Valley, a 2016 graduate from 9/10ths Startup Accelerator, a Takamol startup accelerator managed by KAUST, to deliver the Open Source Ventilator Hackathon (OSV).  The virtual online hackathon was designed for participants across the Middle East...

Cura is a healthcare startup that graduated from 9/10ths Accelerator at KAUST – and is also one of the many startups globally that have had to adapt the new reality posed by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The startup has been...

The on-going COVID-19 crisis has impacted every industry. Startups are among the most affected businesses because of their relative fragility compared to well-established companies. The main reasons startups are losing revenue is due to lost opportunities, hesitant investors, distracted consumers...

Find out what we’re looking for and how to nail your next TAQADAM application. These are our tips on how to excel in a very competitive selection process. We call for applications to the TAQADAM Startup Accelerator once a year and...

King Abdullah University of Science of Technology (KAUST) is joining universities around the world to make licensing opportunities rapidly available and get technologies that prevent, diagnose, treat and contain COVID-19 to market. In response to the virus, KAUST researchers have...

Red Sea Farms, a KAUST agricultural technology spinout, and Kirchner Group have announced an agricultural enterprise development collaboration with the purpose of enabling local production of fresh fruits and vegetables in fresh-water-constrained regions of the world. The partnership will leverage...

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Originally published on KAUST News   KAUST and the Industrial Clusters (IC), one of the leading governmental entities to develop competitive industrial sectors in Saudi Arabia, joined together virtually on April 2 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU formalized...

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

All businesses – no matter the location, size, or maturity – experience conflict. For larger companies, the impact is typically low, with clearly-defined management hierarchies and HR protocols providing a clear path to resolution. For startups, however, it’s a different...

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Originally published on KAUST News   KAUST and the Saudi British Bank (SABB) have teamed up for the fourth year in a row to launch the TAQADAM Startup Accelerator. Young entrepreneurs can apply from March 1 to 21 to join the six-month program...

On March 3, 2020, 45 startups from around Saudi Arabia participated in a 3-day bootcamp training at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in preparation for the MITEF Saudi Startup Competition finals. Over 100 entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors...

KAUST startup helps maximize crop yield while optimizing resource efficiency. Challenges Solution Benefits · 90% of the country’s limited water resources from non-renewable aquifers used for irrigation each year · Soil salinity buildup from over-irrigation, requiring additional water to flush...

Coming up with the next big startup idea might seem impossible, but after years of teaching innovation and entrepreneurship here at KAUST, we are here to tell you that anyone can come up with a life-changing idea. Ideas are the...

At KAUST, we believe that the future belongs to those who are able to think creatively, as well as lead and inspire other people to greatness. But how do you teach skills such as leadership and innovation? There is a...

The Saudi Arabia startup ecosystem is booming. And here at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), startups are supported with the right environment to scale and grow. KAUST is working alongside a network of agencies, ministries, and companies...

2019 was a year of incredible growth for the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center and Innovation Fund. Thousands of innovators walked through our doors to find creative solutions to hundreds of challenges. Our portfolio of 120+ startups were also busy:  closing deals,...

Matching thousands of people to fulfill thousands of jobs is not an easy task. A high volume of requests from an ever-growing workforce poses a large challenge to most organizations. Pinpointing vacancies and facilitating transfers leads to a happier workforce...

Sadeem, a wireless environmental sensing systems spinout company from KAUST and the world’s first multi-patented sensor solution for flood, traffic, weather and air quality monitoring, has secured $2.6 million of co-investment from the KAUST Innovation Fund and Saudi Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures Fund. This...

KAUST and MODON formalize a collaborative R&D agreement to shape Saudi Arabia’s future King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish...

KAUST introduced self-driving shuttles on its campus to become the pioneer in adopting autonomous vehicles in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The pilot project incorporates vehicle technology from two global leaders in autonomous mobility and advanced manufacturing,Local Motors by LM Industries and EasyMile. The...

The University held the 10th KAUST Industry Advisory Board (KIAB) meeting from November 4 to 5. The annual signature meeting puts the University’s research, education and economic development activities at the center of a two-day discussion with industry partners on...

KAUST alumnus Luca Passone (Ph.D. ’18, M.S. ’11) is part traditional researcher and part horizon-scanning entrepreneur. As the chief technology officer and a co-founder of FalconViz, one of the University’s homegrown startups, Passone and his colleagues conduct 3D surveying and mapping using unmanned aerial systems...

KAUST alumnus Babar Khan (Ph.D. ’18) was recently selected as one of 20 Innovators Under 35 in the MENA region by MIT Technology Review Arabia. Innovators Under 35 recognizes talented young entrepreneurs transforming the world with creative solutions through the use of science...

KAUST and Misk Initiatives Center signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further expand opportunities for collaboration between the two entities. The MoU was signed on Thursday at the sidelines of the Misk Global Forum (MGF) by KAUST President Dr. Tony Chan...

Red Sea Farms startup wins $150,000 at Misk’s Entrepreneurship World Cup finals King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is proud to announce that Red Sea Farms placed third at the recent Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC). The event, which...

It is often said that language is the most common unifying factor in a culture. Languages and dialects are often used to celebrate that culture’s customs and traditions and, indeed, from the time man came to express himself it was...

There is an increasing demand from enterprises of all sizes for supercomputing power. The need for big compute capability is growing as more businesses need to process and manage complex data. UnitX, a TAQADAM Accelerator graduate founded in 2018 at...

Tutors are always in high-demand – particularly during final exams when finding quality ones can be a frustrating process for students. Founders, Salem Bin Ghanem and Ibrahim Baatiah, of the Faheem application found it extremely challenging themselves to find skilled...

It is almost impossible to prevent natural disasters from happening and many of them occur without any human prediction. Thousands of lives are lost each year due to both massive flooding and hurricanes around the globe causing millions of dollars...

Technology transforms how we function within our world. When it comes to healthcare, there is a strong demand for new solutions and patients are looking for technology which enhances their medical experience. Cura, a Saudi-based 9/10ths Accelerator graduate, has made...

Around a third of food worldwide is grown using freshwater irrigation, however much of that water comes from unsustainable resources. By 2050, it is predicted that food production will need to increase by nearly 50% to sustain our rapidly growing...

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) announced that it will host 96 Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) finalists from 64 countries at its entrepreneurship bootcamp as part of its partnership with the Misk Global Forum (MGF). KAUST will host...

UnitX, a KAUST artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing startup spin-out company and a barrier-breaking cloud-based supercomputing provider that helps enterprises deploy AI at scale, has secured $2 million of co-investment from the KAUST Innovation Fund and Saudi Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures Fund. The injection...

On September 26, 2019, 28 startups pitched their ideas to a panel of judges and investors to compete for over 2 million SAR in prize money at the finals of the TAQADAM Startup Accelerator Program. The program, now in its...

TAQADAM is a Saudi Arabian university startup accelerator delivered by King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) in partnership with Saudi British Bank (SABB). The program equips Saudi university students, staff, faculty and recent graduates with the tools needed...

Hundreds of developers, designers, programmers and entrepreneurs from around Saudi Arabia came together last week to design next generation technologies in food, water and energy for implementation in Saudi Arabia’s $500bn global model for future living NEOM, the event’s challenge partner....

On September 9, KAUST signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ACWA Power, one of the world’s leading independent developers, investors and operators of power generation and desalinated water plants, inaugurating the KAUST – ACWA Power Center of Excellence for Desalination...

In 2017, we covered the journey of KAUST startup Sadeem—a company that provides solar-powered smart city solutions for flood, traffic and environmental monitoring, saving money and lives in real-time—from its inception. Read about the company’s achievements—and expansion—as the startup’s story continues below. An...

KAUST President Dr. Tony Chan recently emphasized the University’s dual mission—research and education as one element of core business with innovation and impact as the other. Research and innovation are closely linked, and KAUST has consistently ranked No. 1 for research...

In the summer of 2017, then-KAUST master’s degree student Vasiliki Kordopati (M.S. ’17) enrolled in the “New Ventures and Product Innovation” elective course on the University’s campus. Each year, students are asked to choose a technology from a portfolio of University inventions and develop...

KAUST Ph.D. graduate Kiran Narayanan (M.S., Ph.D. ’18, mechanical engineering) made use of his entrepreneurial spirit when he and his Ph.D. supervisor KAUST Professor and Acting Dean of Physical Science and Engineering Ravi Samtaney created UnitX, a University-funded supercomputing startup....

You will never see one with your naked eye or through a conventional optical microscope, but quantum dots are changing the world. Thanks to their remarkable superpower properties, scientists think they will soon be used in everything from light bulbs...

THUWAL, SAUDI ARABIA — King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is hosting three entrepreneurship bootcamps in support of the Tech Champions program by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). Over 100 participants and mentors gathered on...

The Saudi final of the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) was a proud day for the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), with all five winners graduates of KAUST’s own entrepreneurship programs. The five winners were each awarded US$50,000...

Around 300 undergraduate students from 20 Saudi universities gathered at KAUST from May 2 to 4 to compete in the STEAM Innovation Challenge. STEAM (short for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) is an annual intensive ideation program where mixed interdisciplinary...

Reposted from KAUST News on May 14, 2019 Red Sea Farms, an agriculture technology spinout company from KAUST specializing in saltwater greenhouse technology, secured $1.9 million of co-investment from the KAUST Innovation Fund and Research Products Development Company (RPDC). Red Sea Farms is uniquely...

In Saudi Arabia, there is no shortage of people with vibrant ideas and a determination to pursue them. King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) is home to a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem with the Kingdom’s highest concentration of deep...

KAUST recently signed an agreement with Elm, a joint-stock company and a leading digital solutions company in Saudi Arabia owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), to collaborate in research and development on joint educational programs and events. The agreement formalized...

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has signed a partnership agreement with Research Products Development Company (RPDC) to support technology commercialization and early-stage startups in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. RPDC and the KAUST Innovation Fund, which makes...

It’s a new year and a time for new resolutions. There is a strong chance that your goals are similar to last year: travel more, balance, exercise, eat healthier, etc. But what if this year one of your resolutions was...

The groundbreaking of the Saudi Vaccine and Biomanufacturing Center (SVBC), the first of its kind in the Middle East, took place at KAUST on December 15. The ceremony was held under the patronage of HE Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Minister of...

NOMADD Desert Solutions, a leading PV cleaning system and spin-out company from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), has secured strategic investment by Saudi Arabian construction company CEPCO. The Series B investment round will support NOMADD’s project pipeline...

KAUST signed a worldwide agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific, providing the company access to its two patents that have the potential to expand the range of applications for high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The agreement further establishes KAUST as a premier...

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Air Products signed an agreement to become a strategic partner of the KAUST Industry Collaboration Program (KICP) with the University. A world-leading global industrial gases company, Air Products is the latest influential international company to join the KICP network. The network encourages relationships...

Launching a startup can be tough and many aspiring entrepreneurs have questions about where to start. To shed some light on the startup journey, we’re sharing stories and insights from some of our TAQADAM Startup Accelerator founders and program mentors....

Lockheed Martin, the global security and aerospace company, today signed its first international Master Research Agreement with KAUST. The two organizations have also announced their initial collaboration in the field of flexible electronics, which will include the integration of KAUST...

On September 13, 2018, thirteen startup finalists took the stage to pitch for follow-on funding at the 2018 final TAQADAM Accelerator showcase. After 8 months of intensive acceleration at King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST), and in competition...

At TAQADAM, we know that meeting the right people to get your startup off the ground is hard. This is why we bring founders together with an influential network of Saudi investors, industry and government leaders. Each startup team also...

McLaren Racing and KAUST signed a five-year research and development (R&D) agreement focused on extreme performance technology. The partnership aims to advance research in the areas of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), machine learning, fuels and lubricants, advanced mathematics and sensors...

The newly constructed Dow Innovation Center at KAUST was inaugurated on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 in a ceremony attended by Dow executive leadership, the KAUST Board of Trustees, University leadership, and special invited guests from Saudi Arabia. Located in the...

Martin Ibarra and Michael Margineanu are two KAUST PhD students with a deep interest in the translational opportunities of bioscience research. Working with KAUST Innovation and Economic Development (I&ED), the pair designed KAUST’s first bio-entrepreneurship ideation workshop for a large...

The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s (KAUST’s) Innovation and Economic Development department hosted its largest STEAM Innovation Challenge April 10–12, 2018. More than 300 Saudi university students from 16 universities participated in the intensive ideation program. Entitled “Secure...

In the last week of February KAUST hosted some of the most cutting-edge researchers in the area of photovoltaics at the annual KAUST Solar Energy research conference. The conference theme, Synergistic Approaches in PV, underscored the overriding message of the...

The UBI Index has ranked KAUST Entrepreneurship Center as a Top Challenger for University Incubator Programs! KAUST has been recognized from among 259 finalists in 53 countries selected from 1,370 submissions. UBI Global is a Stockholm-based data and advisory firm...

On March 24, the Research Products Development Company (RPDC), a tenant in the KAUST Research and Technology Park, signed an agreement with SaudiVax to establish and operate the first research and industrial center in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East...

Originally posted on KAUST News On March 24, the Research Products Development Company (RPDC), a tenant in the KAUST Research and Technology Park, signed an agreement with SaudiVax to establish and operate the first research and industrial center in Saudi...

Over the past 20 years, Dr. Kevin Cullen has thought a lot about the role of universities and technology transfer. The first university and industry partnership program he ran was at Heriot-Wyatt University in Edinburgh. The companies Cullen worked with...

Originally written for KAUST News by Lulwah Shalhoub A year ago, a team of four KAUST master’s degree students joined efforts to build a startup that aims to serve the dairy industry in Saudi Arabia. Co-founders Suhaib Amer, Faisal Alhindi, Hamzah AlAhmadi and...

KAUST startups have had a run of success in the Kingdom’s recent entrepreneurship competitions. Leading the way was KAUST startup Sadeem, a wireless sensor system for flood monitoring. After winning Best Global Startup and taking home $100,000 in prize money at...

On February 21 and 22, the 9th annual meeting of the KAUST Industry Advisory Board (KIAB) took place on the University’s campus. The meeting puts research, education and economic development at the center of a two-day discussion with industry partners...

What defines an entrepreneur? Esteban Canepa, co-founder of Sadeem, asked an audience of startup hopefuls at the TAQADAM bootcamp. They are innovators from 18 universities across Saudi Arabia, a mix of STEAM startups working in fintech, education, AI, e-commerce, renewable...

Universities play an important role in economic development. In the United States, university research accounted for 13% of total R&D in 2016. In Saudi Arabia, where R&D investments ranked 40th globally, spending in 2013 was 0.8% of GDP – a...

This article is part of our KAUST Innovation Design Thinking series.This post focuses on why and how to use prototypes. Each article will focus on a core step of the Design Thinking process, including Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Testing, and Storytelling....

Each year, KAUST Innovation & Economic Development works with over 100 startups – some homegrown through our Innovation Fund, others funneled in from all over Saudi Arabia via our STEAM Innovation Challenges and accelerator programs, TAQADAM and 910ths. As a...

KAUST Innovation & Economic Development hosted a Gamechanger Day to ignite discussion about healthcare and entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is on the brink of a major healthcare transformation from a Government-led system to a privatized one. The Saudi...

This article is part of our KAUST Innovation Design Thinking series.This post focuses on the importance of the Ideation phase. Each article will focus on a core step of the Design Thinking process, including Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Testing, and Storytelling....

This article is part of our KAUST Innovation Design Thinking series. Each article will focus on a core step of the Design Thinking process, including: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Testing, and Storytelling. This post focuses on the importance of the...

What do you get when you put university students and a tough policy challenge in one room? Creative and disruptive solutions to a notoriously complicated problem. Held at Asbar World Forum in Riyadh, KAUST Innovation & Economic Development hosted 81...

FalconViz, one of the University’s homegrown startups, has recently been included in the prestigious Forbes Middle East “Top 100 Startups In The Arab World 2017” list. The startup, which focuses on 3-D aerial surveying and mapping using unmanned aerial systems (UAS), is...

There’s a force that takes over when you put a tent full of students, inventions and design forums together. It’s the collective momentum of innovation from students who’ve put a lot of thought into making things that matter. In a...

“You have 5 minutes, go.” In front of a room of judges, 22 startup teams pitched their ideas following an intensive month-long program at KAUST. These hopeful future CEO and CTO’s are part of the third cohort of the 910ths...

For the first time KAUST Innovation and Monsha’at hosted a Wamda Mix N’ Mentor event at KAUST’s Entrepreneurship Center. Mix N’ Mentor is Wamda’s flagship event, bringing together promising entrepreneurs with global and regional experts and investors to discuss their...

Corporates are what successful start-ups become when they grow-up. They transform from feisty teenagers ready to take on and change the world into conservative middle-agers protecting their investments and not wanting to rock the boat. While start-ups search for new...

Do you have an idea for a business idea or product but aren’t sure if customers will really buy and use it?  Accelerator programs, like TAQADAM, employ the Design Thinking model to find out the answer to this critical question. ...

How do global players like Apple, Nike, World Bank, and more remain competitive through innovation? They utilize the process of Design Thinking! What is Design Thinking? Design Thinking is about understanding problems like a designer. It’s a methodology that takes...

Many years of research data has shown that applying corporate innovation methodologies and entrepreneurship techniques has a highly beneficial effect on corporate performance and competitiveness. This is particularly true for Saudi companies operating in a competitive market place.  The REVelate...

Sadeem Wireless Sensing Systems, a KAUST IP-based startup and graduate of the KAUST Hikma startup accelerator, won the Best Global Startup Award at GITEX Future Stars in Dubai. Among 1000 startups, Sadeem won the top prize of $100,0000 for their wireless...

Startup accelerators are making a positive impact on the Kingdom’s innovation ecosystem.  They bring together entrepreneurs, investors, government and corporations with the common goal of helping innovative businesses succeed. What is an accelerator and is it the right path for...

In 2011, three KAUST Ph.D. students —Mustafa Mousa, Esteban Canepa and Ahmad Dehwah—began working together in the research group of former KAUST Assistant Professor Christian Claudel on an ambitious project involving sensors for smart cities. They did not realize that by the time they graduated in 2016, the project would become a...

Over 40,000 investors, entrepreneurs, innovators and startup companies are expected to attend this year’s BIBAN Conference in Riyadh September 17th-20th.  The 4-day summit, hosted by The Small and Medium Enterprises Authority, aims to raise community awareness about the importance of innovation...

We are pleased to announce the first commercial licensing agreement between Saudi Aramco and KAUST funded startup NOMADD Desert Solar Solutions. Under the agreement, Saudi Aramco will grant NOMADD the right to develop and manufacture solar array cleaning technology, which was...

Ideas worth spreading and innovation go hand in hand. Mix in the incredibly unique community we have at KAUST, and we’ve got a perfect setting for TEDx. TEDx is a spinoff of TED talks, where speakers engage with community on...

KAUST students come from all corners of the world and have excellent and diverse academic backgrounds. There are more than 100 nationalities on campus, and graduates have expertise in important scientific fields such as biological and environmental science, computer science,...

If you’ve never gotten into a podcast, now’s the time. As the podcast-verse expands into further reaches of knowledge, we keep finding ones that glitter in the sea of random internet goodies. Why you should listen: you can download them...

KAUST startup NOMADD shines at the SunRISE TechBridge Challenge We are pleased to share the news that KAUST startup NOMADD is a winner of the SunRISE TechBridge Challenge II, a competition that recognizes innovative solutions to reduce electricity costs for...

As part of the Innovation to Impact roundtable held at KAUST, we hosted parallel ‘super’ one-day version of the STEAM Innovation Challenge:  Reimaging Education in the Digital Age. Over 85 students from 8 Saudi universities participated including King Abdul-Aziz University,...

A Selection from Cohort of 26 Startups Representing 13 Saudi Universities An audience of two hundred and fifty guests were on hand to witness thirteen Saudi university startup teams pitch at the first TAQADAM University Entrepreneur Accelerator program showcase at...

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) welcomes its newest resident partner to the KAUST Research and Technology Park with a ribbon cutting ceremony that took place on May 9, 2017. With the opening of an Electron Microscopy Center...

In this post, our REVelate international mentor Brian Hayes shares his expertise in how to keep your stakeholders happy. Exactly who are stakeholders and how does it affect your business? Read on.  Find success with stakeholders Contributor: Brian Hayes, KAUST International Mentor Group...

So you want to dominate your career…what’s next?  Guest blogger, REVelate mentor and corporate innovator John Eager shares how to get noticed on the job, and take your work skills to the next level. Ten tips to jumpstart your career Contributor: John...

The KAUST Industry Advisory Board (KIAB) meeting, an annual signature meeting that puts the University’s research, education and economic development activities in front of the eyes of industry, took place on March 1 and 2 on the University’s campus. Over...

Tempe, Ariz., April 10, 2017 – Arizona State University has launched a trans-Atlantic partnership with one of the world’s fastest growing research universities, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), which is located along the coast of the Red...

Detecting floods can be the link between city planning and saving lives in disaster relief situations. For KAUST researchers turned entrepreneurs Ahmad Delwah, Edward Canepa and Moustafa Moussa, it’s now their job. They were students at KAUST when floods hit...

Twenty-four teams from across the Kingdom have been nominated for the 9/10ths Startup Accelerator Program, which aims to develop early-stage entrepreneurs and their concepts into new, high-potential startups, and to accelerate the development of the Saudi Arabian startup ecosystem. The...

Horticulture activities rely heavily on two important resources: light and water. Artificial lighting technologies are particularly useful in countries with limited sunlight and rainfall. In arid regions such as Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, over 95 percent of water...

A new group has moved into KAUST Research and Technology Park! Meet the Young Builders, a group that lets KAUST community kids build, play and explore through robotics and toys. Bringing the innovation spirit to our team, the kids now...

Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) is a program hosted annually by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). It is an academic, entrepreneurial and cultural interlude session in KAUST’s academic calendar with a primary purpose of enriching and inspiring the...

Construction Update Saudi Aramco and KAUST broke ground on the construction of a new state-of-the-art R&D Center on December 16, 2016 with an expected completion date of mid-2019. The Center will be 11,300 square meter research facility housing 132 scientists...

Twenty-eight student and faculty-led startup teams have been chosen to join the first Taqadam University Entrepreneur Accelerator program, which is based at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and sponsored by Saudi British Bank (SABB). The KAUST-SABB University...

If you “Google” Consumer Electronics Show (CES), large news networks, tech writers and basement bloggers all agree on one thing: it is HUGE. And from January 5-8, KAUST was able to be a part of that large, tecchie jigsaw puzzle...

‘Promising Saudi Startups’ is a term Forbes Middle East has associated with a number of KAUST startups this year. Forbes Middle East recently published a list of startups they announced as The 50 Most Promising Saudi Startups featuring KAUST startups...

I am finishing my 6-month internship with KAUST Innovation & Economic Development and I can honestly say that it has been a great experience. The internship program was created by eBIG and provided me the opportunity to learn how the...

“…We are a catalyst for innovation, economic development and social prosperity in Saudi Arabia and the world…”, Mission of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). In line with its mission, KAUST launched a new initiative designed to support...

KAUST Innovation & Economic Development Current Openings Senior Technology Portfolio Manager The Senior Technology Portfolio Manager works with the KAUST research community to lead commercialization efforts, including patent management, technology development, sponsored research, translational and gap funding initiatives, and license...

The KAUST community discovered what it takes to “get in the innovation game” this year at the Innovation & Economic Development (I&ED) Open House event on October 4 and 5. The interactive event provided an opportunity to learn about the University’s resident industry partners and...

What a great experience! The Global Grad Show at Dubai Design Week took place from the 24th – 29th of October 2016 in Dubai, attracting over 50 Universities from 30 different countries. The show has grown to become the world’s...

KAUST Startup SONATE: Top 6 at SLUSH Singapore! SLUSH is a student-driven non-profit movement originating in Finland in 2008, that facilitates founder and investor meetings in an effort to to build a world-wide startup community. SLUSH Singapore was their first foray into Asia and...

I was invited to speak at last week’s Petrotech Middle East conference, a gathering of the key refining and petro-chemical companies and organizations in the region.  The focus of the session was ‘Education’ and the impact it can have on...

We are pleased to announce that KAUST startup NOMADD was awarded an award for innovation during this year’s 2016 Association of University Research Parks (AURP) annual conference. The AURP Innovation Award recognizes university research park companies that have produced substantial and meaningful...

KAUST Innovation will be attending the 33rd IASP World Conference 2016 from September 19th to the 22nd in Moscow, Russia. This event brings together experts from science and technology parks and other areas of innovation including technology-based incubators, academia, the...

These past few months have been a busy time for the KAUST Research and Technology Park — from partnerships and collaborations to startup assistance, to networking events and conference participation. New Collaboration KAUST has partnered with FEI, a company that...

Please check out our new brochure featuring some of the ways industry partners can engage with KAUST (download a PDF version here). To request a hard copy, please email your contact details to innovation@kaust.edu.sa. If you are interested in exploring a partnership with KAUST,...

Below is a list of KAUST’s latest electrical & electronics technology licensing opportunities. KAUST’s technologies are available for joint development, patent licensing or other mutually beneficial relationships.  To learn more email ip@kaust.edu.sa.   Broadband Fractal SoP Antenna Integrates Multiple Functions Into Single Low-Cost...

KAUST-based startup NOMADD (NO-water Mechanical Automated Dusting Device) recently closed a Series A funding round from the KAUST Innovation Fund totaling $1 million. NOMADD is a smart and ecological desert solar panel cleaning system developed at KAUST by Georg Eitelhuber, NOMADD’s founder and current chief...

What an amazing week!!! The BIO International Convention (BIO) took place from June 6-9, 2016 in San Francisco and attracted over 15,000 biotechnology and pharma leaders. The event covered a wide spectrum of life science and application areas including drug...

Chronic wounds are wounds that do not heal quickly. They bleed frequently, often develop into infections and can turn into ulcers if they are not treated properly. Treating chronic wounds is a tremendous burden for health care providers and systems. Patients...

It’s not a scene you’d expect on a Friday at 8 am: students filling up a university conference room, giving up their last weekend before finals. They’re all inextricably tied to a problem they don’t know yet. But somehow it...

Click here to read Part I of this series. KAUST is helping the Kingdom diversify and become a knowledge-based economy by supporting and growing new technology start-ups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Vision 2030, released by Saudi Arabia’s Council...

With an open economy and a strong commitment to economic diversification and building a knowledge-based society, it is a good choice to do business and research in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the healthcare and biotechnology sector. Saudi Arabia is a...

Ahmed Alfadhel, a KAUST PhD candidate in electrical engineering and inventor, and Dr. Osman Bakr, Associate Professor, Material Science and Engineering at KAUST, were both recently named as ‘Top Five Innovators Under 35’ at the ‘9th MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup...

Every April 26, many organizations around the world celebrate World Intellectual Property (IP) Day to promote discussion of the role of intellectual property in encouraging innovation and creativity. World IP Day was launched in 2000 by the World Intellectual Property...

The nearer you get to putting a shape on your start-up idea, the greater the need to put a ‘financial picture’ together of what the business will look like. The ‘financial model’ shows the money version of the plan. There...

There is one thing that every successful startup or business has in common – an innovative idea. KAUST Innovation’s Entrepreneur Center has a successful track record in developing and launching accelerator programs that develop these ideas such as Hikma and...

It’s a different vibe from the minute you’re at the registration booth. Or more appropriately, a storage container painted sky blue and tangerine orange. When entering the Dubai-hosted STEP conference, it feels more outdoor music festival-y than a gathering of...

As the major player in the power and electricity sectors in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) continues to strengthen their partnership with KAUST through a variety of collaborations, including the inauguration of the SEC Center of Excellence during...

As part of its broader innovation and economic development mission, KAUST is expanding its support and training for entrepreneurship to meet the growing interest amongst students (and young people across the Kingdom) in innovation, creativity and design.  There are some...

On March 16 and 17, KAUST’s Saudi Initiatives, Graduate Affairs and Industry Engagement Offices hosted the 7th Annual KAUST Industry Collaboration Program (KICP) Career Day.  The event, exclusive to KAUST’s KICP members and industry collaborators, provides KAUST students with direct...

Eight startups, mentored by the Entrepreneurship Center and Innovation Fund, competed for $80,000 USD in prizes at KAUST Innovation’s Startup Accelerator Showcase on March 10, 2016. Each team presented their company pitch and were judged by a panel of judges...

Learn why KAUST Innovation’s accelerator programs are recognized by organizations such as UBI Global for mentoring student innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers and promoting a culture of entrepreneurship and calculated risk taking that is creating the next generation of companies in...

KAUST’s social entrepreneurship startup team Tekiti has advanced to the London regional finals of the seventh annual Hult Prize by creating a platform that empowers underemployed tradespeople in developing countries. The 2016 Hult Prize ‘President’s Challenge’ is focusing on crowded...

Accelerators have tremendous ‘real-life’ educational value these days, especially in regions of the world where angel investing is uncommon and the venture capital scene is still emerging. KAUST Innovation’s Entrepreneurship Center has a successful track record in developing and launching...

With an open and robust economy and a fast-growing population, it makes a lot of sense to do business in Saudi Arabia, especially in sectors such as clean tech. Saudi Arabia is a G20 economy—one of the 20 major economies...

Dr. Boon S. Ooi, a professor of engineering at KAUST, has developed a new laser-based horticultural technology that could significantly benefit the agri-foods industry, especially in places with limited sunlight such as Northern Europe or with limited water/soil such as...

As you walk into KAUST’s Innovation Cluster, there is a plaque that gives me inspiration every time I see it. It reads ‘Patience, Persistence, Perseverance.’ The quote is advice to KAUST pioneers back in 2010 from His Excellency Ali I....

Universities hoping to commercialize the innovations of their students, staff and researchers are paying more attention than ever to developing strong partnerships with industry and focusing on collaborations that have tangible social and economic benefits. KAUST was created with such...

Watch this behind the scenes story of Ahmed, an employee with KAUST startup NOMADD, as he prepares to pitch to international investors at the first Arabian Tech Tour event, hosted at KAUST in November 2015.

A new flexible lithium sulfur battery developed at KAUST could significantly improve the battery life and safety of rechargeable batteries. The technology has been developed by the team led by Lain-Jong Li, an associate professor of material science and engineering...

With its world-class academics, labs and facilities that are second to none, strong partnerships with leading industry partners, strategically connected innovation and economic development programs and its community of over 100 nationalities on campus, KAUST’s innovation ecosystem is making an...

KAUST Innovation’s Entrepreneurship Center received recognition for its Startup Bootcamp at StartSmart Saudi Arabia on January 16, 2016, which was produced by MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF) Saudi Arabia and sponsored by Bab Rizq Jameel (part of the Abdul Latif Jameel Community...

Saudi Arabia is making huge efforts to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment. Since acceding to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2005, the Kingdom has started to simplify its regulatory regime, open up key sectors to foreign investment...

Serendipity means a ‘fortunate happenstance’ or ‘pleasant surprise.’ At innovation ecosystems such as KAUST, where science and technology is elevated through collaboration on a number of fronts, serendipity is encouraged and even celebrated. Some of the greatest inventions of all...

During next week’s KAUST Winter Enrichment Program (WEP), Innovation and Economic Development’s Entrepreneurship Center will be delivering a program for students called ‘ICED in the Desert,’ which combines teaching and workshops on innovation, creativity entrepreneurship and design thinking. As part...

Relocating to KAUST has a number of advantages for top-quality start­ups from around the world. Companies can immediately benefit from KAUST’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, including access to the Research and Technology Park, industry engagement, Innovation Fund and Entrepreneurship...

Two KAUST students won a ‘Best Poster’ award at the ‘Saudi Arabia Smart Grid Conference on Smart Grids and Sustainable Energy,’ which was held in Jeddah from December 7 to 9, 2015. Mustafa Mousa and Ahmad Dehwah, KAUST PhD students...

KAUST’s Student Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation Group (eBIG) was established in 2014 to promote entrepreneurial activities for graduate students at KAUST and provide them with mentorship and guidance from the Entrepreneurship Center. One of its leading proponents has been Lakshmi...

A number of startups championed by KAUST’s Entrepreneurship Center and Innovation Fund were highlighted at Forbes Middle East’s ‘Entrepreneurs Shaping Saudi Arabia’s Future 2015: Exclusive Ceremony and Gala Dinner,’ which was held on December 15 in Riyadh. Under the patronage...

It is important to properly develop a product from the laboratory to the manufacturing floor. To encourage this step, KAUST has invested in a number of scale-up labs. One the most commercially promising projects to come out of these ‘innovation...

One of KAUST’s key advantages is that it provides research and industry partners with the opportunity to conduct experimental research in an empowering environment with exceptional facilities, labs, equipment and support. KAUST’s Innovation and Economic Development Department provides a strategically...

KAUST’s Entrepreneurship Center offers guidance and support to The KAUST School (TKS) through TKS Entrepreneurs, which provides students with business camps, community support and the development of their current ideas into potential prototypes. This mentoring was on full display during...

Mark Crowell was named as KAUST’s Vice President, Innovation and Economic Development (I&ED), in July 2015 and recently sat down with KAUST Innovation to discuss his first impressions of the University. Crowell has over 25 years of experience as a...

We are creating, nurturing and enhancing relationships with industry every day. Whether it is helping students with job opportunities or internship placements, engaging in collaborative research or building upon a thriving network of industry partners, we are industry’s gateway to...

KAUST and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), the private sector arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, have recently established the Beacon I Venture Fund. The Fund will provide venture capital funding for high-tech startups...

Last week, we hosted the Arabian Tech Tour 2015, the first regional version of the international event for leading venture capitalists, high-tech entrepreneurs and industry and government influencers. The event was part of the ongoing efforts of the KAUST Innovation...

The Dow Chemical Company has signed an agreement with KAUST to expand its facilities at the KAUST Research & Technology Park with the construction of a new Dow Middle East Research and Development (R&D) Center. The new facility will house advanced...

We hosted the first UBI Global Benchmarking Conference and Award Ceremony in the region on October 14 on KAUST campus. UBI Global is a thought leader in performance analysis of business incubation around the world. It helps university business incubators and business...

One of the key elements to developing a new startup venture is getting one or more mentors. The level of interaction can go from occasional advice to close mentoring on a weekly basis. So why are mentors so important for...

A new round of the REVelate Corporate Innovation Program will run between November 24 and 26. Organizations in Kingdom looking to be more innovative are encouraged to reserve a place for their staff to help them come up with innovative solutions to old problems, improve processes...

At KAUST, research doesn’t end with a completed study or even a published article. We encourage researchers to protect their inventions and put them on track for commercialization—so their ideas can make the greatest possible impact on the region and the...

Welcome to the new Innovation and Economic Development website. We have been hard at work the last few months to bring you the new site with brand new content and a revamped look. We have updated the site to cater...

“Industry engagement is an integral component not only of Innovation and Economic Development’s mission, but also the mission of KAUST,” said Imad Abukhalaf, manager of KAUST’s Industry Engagement Office (IEO). “We really think of ourselves as integral enablers to accomplishing...

Follow us to get instant news and updates for inventors, entrepreneurs and industry! For English: @KAUSTInnovation For Arabic: @KAUSTinnov_AR  

The KAUST Innovation Fund, formerly known as the Seed Fund, supports the University’s pipeline of technology-based startup projects and companies. It also invests in high-profile international technology companies willing to establish their operations in Saudi Arabia and to benefit from...

KAUST has announced the launching of Hikma, a new Accelerator Program to help identify, develop and speed up the Intellectual Property-Based Startups. On March 21, 16 teams from KAUST and regional Universities took part in a three-day series of mentor-led...

Entrepreneurship Center hosts graduation ceremony for participants of New Ventures Accelerator A fresh batch of innovative ideas is emerging in the Kingdom thanks to theEntrepreneurship Center at KAUST. On February 18, KAUST honored the first graduating class from its New...

Breast cancer strikes some one in eight women. Treatments exist, but offer grim trade-offs: many are highly toxic, destroying healthy cells along with cancerous ones. Mandeep Kaur, Senior Research Scientist at the Biomolecular Lab in the Computational Bioscience Research Center...

The Falling Walls Lab, hosted recently by KAUST Graduate Affairs, featured 22 finalists who presented their product or venture idea to a high-profile panel of judges. These presentations are the result of a cumulative process that started in March of...

KAUST began as a vision, perceived across a great expanse of dry, unremarkable desert sand. Five years – and some key ingredients later – it is growing into a global force of academics, and is a proud pillar of light...

Last week, KAUST signed its first royalty-bearing license agreement for NOMADD, the “No Water, Mechanical, Automated, Dusting Device.” Licensing this technology to NOMADD Desert Solar Solutions, a startup spun out of the university, establishes an important basis for the future...

It takes more than a great idea to develop a commercially viable product. It takes intellectual property (IP) expertise, R&D resources, and effective business models to guide industry acceptance and adoption of new innovations. At KAUST, we’re especially aware of these...

“We are trying to become a hub for global energy research,” says Dr. Jean-Marie Basset, Director of the KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC). Dr. Basset is the developer of “surface organometallic chemistry,” a new field of chemistry that looks at catalytic...

The KAUST Kilo Lab is a scale-up facility that offers researchers in the areas of organic synthesis and homogeneous catalysis the opportunity to utilize KAUST’s expertise and know-how to commercialize their research. It supports the development and processing of pharmaceutical...

Our latest technology video explains the integrated sensor system for monitoring urban floods and traffic congestions. For more information about the technology, click here.

The TTI team participated in the Sensors Expo & Conference that took place June 24–26 and showcased some of KAUST’s sensor-based technologies. The Sensors Expo & Conference is the only industry event in North America exclusively focused on sensors and...

The NOMADD system has gained a lot of interest from several companies and investors in the solar industry in the last year. Georg Eitelhuber, founder of the startup that is spun out of KAUST, was awarded earlier this year the...

 Prof. Mohamed Eddaoudi from KAUST’s Advanced Membranes & Porous Materials Center was recently recognized in Thomson Reuters IP & Science Highly Cited Researchers. The listing spotlighted more than 3,000 outstanding researchers in the last decade in 21 broad fields of study. A...

Dr. Sohail Malik has joined us as the new Director of Technology Transfer and Innovation. Coming to KAUST from University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, USA, Dr. Malik brings over 20 years of experience in multidimensional management in the areas...

Technology transfer is much more than processing invention disclosures and filing patents; it involves development of prototypes all the way to ferrying them along to the marketplace. Inventions do not become successful by mere accident or luck. Technology transfer is a...

In a recent report entitled “Encouraging a British Invention Revolution,” the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, Sir Andrew Witty, highlights the importance of universities to economic growth. He notes that “the research strength of the UK’s universities is an enormous national asset,”...

KAUST Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) Center for Numerical Porous Media, or NumPor, is a prime example of how Economic Development at KAUST is already making inroads with industry. The NumPor Center was established in March of 2012. In June, the...

With Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), there is much anticipation and discussion going on regarding the impact of the accession, particularly in our field of technology transfer. For example, people are wondering about impacts on patent...

As KAUST TTI’s patent administrator, my job is to keep the patent prosecution process moving. This is a harder task than you might think. I coordinate between TTI case managers, our outside counsel in the United States, and KAUST inventors....

Early in 2011, KAUST’s Catalysis Center discovered a new fibrous silica nanospheres material called KCC-1. As part of our commercialization efforts, we’ve since established a scale-up facility in KAUST’s Innovation Cluster using a 20-liter reactor for production of KCC-1. Now, we are...

I recently participated in a training course on research contracts hosted by PraxisUnico, a UK-based nonprofit  that supports education related to innovation and commercialization of public sector and charity research for social and economic impact. The course focused on analyzing...

With all the news about patent litigation these days, some have argued that patents are hurting innovation. There have even been suggestions of just eliminating or greatly curtailing patent rights. Such comments are heard particularly loudly when products are pulled...

By the middle of the 21st century, the world’s urban population is expected to nearly double, increasing to 6.4 billion in 2050. This extraordinary growth will create many new challenges for urban planning and city infrastructures. Many city planners are...

The job of a tech transfer office can seem deceptively simple: pinpoint new technologies, showcase them to the market. In reality, our role is much more complex. It’s more than just connecting industries with new technologies. It’s understanding those industries...

Prof. Atif Shamim and team at the IMPACT Lab (Integrated Microwave Packaging Antennas & Circuits Technology) developed a tracking system that uses patches of paper printed with an inkjet printer. Attached to an object, these tags have tiny GSM and GPS chips...

Catalyst and sorbent manufacturers, this one is for you. That goes for companies in coatings, petrochemicals, carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, hydrogen (H2) storage, and cosmetics. A research team at KAUST may have revolutionized the fields of silica applications. It is...

There’s been lots of talk recently about “open innovation.” Dr. Henry Chesbrough, at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, coined the term and has written three books on the subject. It’s now become a popular buzzword, but what does open...

A popular topic in legal circles of late is patent trolls. The term typically describes a patent owner that does not have products in the market, but rather uses its patents to sue others for infringement. For trolls’ victims, these...

One of the key roles of technology transfer departments is to bring new inventions closer to market. In many cases, this means helping university researchers develop go-to-market strategies for their research outputs and deliverables, then creating a startup, arranging licensing,...