EXHIBITING KAUST’S INNOVATION POTENTIAL

The university showcased its technological innovations during the LEAP 2023 expo

In February 2023, KAUST participated in the second annual LEAP Tech Conference in Riyadh, which focused on the kinds of technological innovations and actions that are directly transforming society. LEAP is organized by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT); the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones; and the UAEbased IT services and consulting firm Tahaluf.

“LEAP 2023 illustrates the changes that are happening in the Kingdom and the emphasis on how technology is going to make Vision 2030 a reality.”

JASON ROOS

Chief Information Officer

The official attendance for LEAP 2023 was 172,000, although some estimates put it at closer to 300,000. There were more than 700 speakers during the four days, while companies such as Aramco, Cisco, Dell, HP, Huawei, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft and Oracle had booths in the mile-long conference hall.

The conference provided an opportunity for KAUST to promote 17 different training and educational development programs for students ranging from middle schoolers to post-graduates in the fields of technology and research, as well as showcase its accelerators and training programs that provide support to startups and entrepreneurs.

KAUST’s booth gave visitors the chance to learn about the university’s role in creating ecosystems for research, development and innovation in Saudi Arabia. The university showcased several of its research projects and initiatives, such as the KAUST Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative, the KAUST-SDAIA Center of Excellence in Data Science and AI, and the KAUST Smart Health Initiative, along with its latest technological infrastructure, such as upgrades to data centers and its new supercomputer, Shaheen III. Visitors also had the opportunity to interact with several prototypes for smart city solutions, such as drone delivery and autonomous vehicles.

During the conference, KAUST signed seven strategic agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to spur collaboration in research, innovation, education and infrastructure. For example, under KAUST’s agreement with the MCIT, the university and ministry will work together to develop communication and information technology, such as the expansion of 5G and 6G networks.

KAUST signed strategic partnerships with Saudi telecom tower company Tawal and the NEOM smart city’s energy, water and hydrogen subsidiary ENOWA to develop telecommunications infrastructure and integrate AI-led technologies in the energy sector, respectively. The university also signed an MoU with multinational technology company Microsoft to develop the capabilities for accessing world-class research and technologies, and accelerating innovation.

In addition, the university signed an MoU with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology to advance their collaboration in addressing the challenges Saudi Arabia faces in relation to energy, life sciences, desert agriculture, semiconductors and water. This partnership is in line with the government’s diversification and security goals, as it is expected to lead to innovative solutions.

California Institute Of Technology

“Our teams at the California Institute of Technology and our colleagues at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are proud to be working closely with KAUST, Saudi Arabia’s leading university in science and technology.”

Harvey B. Newman, Professor of Physics, California Institute of Technology

Similarly, KAUST works with international universities, such as the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The current collaboration with Caltech and other partners is focused on researching and developing advanced internet networking technologies.

LEAP 2023 provided KAUST with a global platform to exhibit its capabilities and highlight its latest innovations. The university’s new strategic partnerships with the MCIT and multinational companies are expected to help advance its research and technological innovations in support of the Kingdom’s longterm economic framework, Vision 2030.

Ministry Of Economy And Planning

“The MEP and UpLink challenge taps into the science-minded talent pools of globally recognized research centers, such as KAUST, supporting early-stage developments and ideas that can help solve the world’s biggest problems.”

HE Faisal F. Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning