Innovation Underpins the University’s Response to COVID-19

KEVIN CULLEN Vice President for Innovation

BY EMBRACING NEW WAYS OF WORKING AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS, BY FORGING EVER CLOSER BONDS WITH OUR PARTNERS, BY MAKING THE MOST OF THE TECHNOLOGIES WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US, AND FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED, IT’S EMINENTLY POSSIBLE TO ADAPT AND THRIVE DURING THIS TIME – ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PERIODS HUMANITY HAS FACED IN A GENERATION.

Leveraging KAUST talent and research to promote safety and enable continuity

In early March 2020, as people, businesses and institutions around the world contended with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, KAUST focused on the twin goals of keeping its academic community safe and continuing its scientific mission – both in the public health arena and further afield. In the weeks and months that followed the outbreak, KAUST faculty and students leveraged the university community’s existing talents and research to meet both of these goals, and continue progress toward the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions.

For example, two KAUST PhD candidates accelerated their development of an instant disinfectant with applications in travel and tourism, and the university partnered with local businesses to share knowledge on operating in the face of challenges while protecting public health. At the same time, KAUST prioritized international collaboration, including through the University-Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP).

Early on in the pandemic, KAUST PhD candidates Luisa Javier and Sandra Medina realized their biotechnology research into disinfectants could be useful in the fight against COVID-19. Wayakit is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly disinfectant that kills 99.999% of bacteria and viruses on surfaces within 30 seconds, including the novel coronavirus SARSCoV-2. While other disinfectants are available, many can take up to 30 minutes to work. In addition, Wayakit can be applied to metals and other hard surfaces as well as textiles, without altering their surfaces, color or smell.

Javier and Medina’s start-up, also named Wayakit, is one of 56 start-ups to receive funding from KAUST since 2011, and their product has quickly become a trusted brand in Saudi Arabia. For example, aviation services company Swissport International began using it at three of the largest airports it manages in the Kingdom. Javier and Medina are now working to scale up their business by getting Wayakit certified for use in different countries and across a wide variety of industries. In a reflection of their progress, the company inaugurated its

first pilot plant in Saudi Arabia in April 2021; the facility will increase Wayakit’s production capacity by up to 20,000 liters of cleaning and disinfection bio-formulations per day.

One of the core roles KAUST plays in Saudi Arabia is bridging the gap between industry and academia, and its existing relationships were instrumental in developing an effective response to the pandemic.

The university collaborated with multinational companies such as Dow Chemical and Air Products & Chemicals to share best practices for navigating difficult times. Both companies are part of the KAUST ecosystem: Air Products joined the university’s Industry Collaboration Program as a strategic partner in 2018, and the Dow Innovation Center opened its doors in KAUST Research and Technology Park the same year.

SaudiVax, another KAUST industry partner, also shared in these discussions, and is an example of how linkages between industry and academia can contribute to the long-term goals of Vision 2030. The company, located on the KAUST campus, partnered with the university partly in response to an earlier virus outbreak – Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, commonly referred to as MERS, which was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. MERS is caused by a different type of coronavirus, and can be fatal. Although not as contagious as SARS-CoV-2, MERS offered an early lesson in the need for local capacity to develop and manufacture vaccines. KAUST was a natural partner in that venture, and SaudiVax is now working toward both goals.

The UIDP, for its part, was created to bring together the world’s leading companies and research universities, facilitating the type of collaboration that has led to the development of vaccines and COVID-19 treatments at an unprecedented pace throughout 2020 and 2021. For KAUST, becoming a member was a natural response to the pandemic, and it joined Harvard University, Yale University, Oxford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other global research leaders in the endeavor. KAUST also signed on to the Stanford University-led Open IP Access Framework – in both cases becoming the first university in the Middle East to do so.

These international initiatives and impact-oriented partnerships help to link KAUST’s innovative research and scholarship with the global companies and change-makers who need it. As demonstrated by the pandemic, even in the face of unprecedented disruption, these relationships promise to speed the path from ideation to implementation, and protect and improve the lives and health of those on campus and well beyond.

SWISSPORT

“Swissport Saudi Arabia is proud to have participated in the launch of Wayakit in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and assisted with its launch beyond the Kingdom’s borders. We are especially proud to have supported its rollout as it is a development from within the Kingdom that manifests the academic and engineering developments, as well as the remarkable entrepreneurial spirit, of its founders, Luisa and Sandra. As a 100%-biodegradeable disinfectant, Wayakit has made a significant impact on Swissport’s operations during the pandemic and helped to keep the traveling public, our customers, staff and facilities safe and clean.

Gerold Tumulka, CEO of Swissport Middle East