JEDDAH – King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) was selected after the first round of eliminations in the semi-finals Henkel's “Innovation Challenge”. Dr. Robert Opoku, Assistant Professor of Marketing at KFUPM University, said: “We are extremely privileged to have witnessed some thought-provoking ideas from students across all the participating universities and it was indeed very gratifying to see the efforts that have gone into the whole process. First, I would like to congratulate Henkel for this landmark initiative which has helped cultivate high potential talent in the region. Secondly, I congratulate the 3 winning teams for their efforts and innovation.” Henkel announced the winning team that would represent the GCC in the international finals of the Henkel Innovation Challenge, an international competition involving students that takes innovation to a totally new level. Three teams, including two teams from HULT Business School in Dubai and one team from KFUPM were selected after the first round of eliminations in the semi-finals and subsequently, The HULT Business School team presented Persil Enviroclean project walked away with the coveted honors of representing the region in the international finals in Shanghai. The Henkel Innovation Challenge, in its sixth annual edition, involves students from across the globe to create a new product or technology for a Henkel brand in 2050 and triple the value they create by promoting sustainable development. This year's challenge brought students from 27 countries together. The Henkel Innovation Challenge was open to students across different universities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia such as American University in Dubai and American University of Sharjah, Hult Business School, Al Yamamah University and the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, who challenged their creativity and innovation in an attempt to make it in the international finals in Shanghai. — SG
