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BUILDING THE KINGDOM’S BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIAL ECOSYSTEM A new National BioPark at KAUST will help to diversify the economy and create new job opportunities In April 2020 KAUST virtually signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Clusters (IC), which is a major government entity designed to catalyze the development of export-oriented and globally competitive industries that leverage the Kingdom’s resources. The groundbreaking agreement will see the development of a National BioPark on the KAUST campus. It will be located in the KAUST Research and Technology Park, which is currently home to 40 companies, including 14 established Saudi firms and global corporates, and 26 deep-tech incubated start-ups. Firms include Saudi Aramco, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, Dow and Boeing. The National BioPark will be developed by IC as part of Vision 2030’s National Industrial Development and Logistics Program, one of the 13 Vision Realization Programs. The program aims to transform the Kingdom into a leading industrial power and an international logistics platform. The BioPark will be vital for the growth of research and technology development in biopharmaceutical, smart health and associated artificial intelligence technologies. After considering sites across the country for the development of the National BioPark, IC determined KAUST as the best location.
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KEVIN CULLEN Vice President for Innovation and Economic Development
WE BELIEVE KAUST CHECKS ALL THE BOXES FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A LAUNCHPAD INTO MIDDLE EASTERN MARKETS: NOT ONLY CAN BUSINESSES BECOME PART OF OUR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THEY CAN ALSO BENEFIT FROM OUR WORLD-CLASS TALENT, RESEARCH, TRAINING AND FACILITIES. The BioPark aligns with KAUST’s Research and Technology Park master plan, and supports the initiatives of the university’s Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering division. The new KAUST Smart Health Initiative, which is led by Dean Pierre Magistretti, is expected to benefit from the BioPark’s development. The initiative aims to drive fundamental understanding of disease mechanisms and precision medicine in Saudi Arabia. KAUST’s partnership with SaudiVax – initiated in 2018 – will also see new heights with the construction of the Saudi Vaccine and Biomanufacturing Center in the BioPark, which is scheduled for completion in 2022. Over the long term, it is anticipated that the BioPark will attract a greater number of companies and start-ups to benefit from KAUST’s R&D ecosystem.
INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS “There is no place like KAUST to host such an initiative, as KAUST is a national innovation and R&D hub for the biotechnology industry within the Kingdom.” Eng. Nizar Al Hariri, President of Industrial Clusters
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