King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) participated in the second edition of LEAP 2023, a global platform for future technologies where pioneering technology professionals worldwide convene to network and share innovations. The four-day annual tech conference (Feb 6–9) was hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. KAUST President Dr. Tony Chan was one of the top tech speakers at the event. In his keynote lecture, "Global Competition in Technology Innovation," he emphasized the importance of universities being critical drivers for building sustainable innovation ecosystems that, in turn, serve as the basis for national and global centers of excellence. In addition, KAUST Chief Information Officer Dr. Jason Roos gave a lecture on "The Impact of AI on Cybersecurity," explaining how artificial intelligence can improve this crucial field. The KAUST booth at the conference met with a huge turnout, and visitors had the opportunity to learn about the university's role in promoting ecosystems for research, development and innovation in Saudi Arabia. The booth displayed several research projects and initiatives, including the KAUST Artificial Intelligence Initiative, KAUST-SDAIA Center of Excellence, and Smart-Health Initiative. Furthermore, it showcased several prototypes for smart city solutions, such as drone delivery, smart life, autonomous vehicles and data centers (featuring updates on its new III Shaheen supercomputer). The booth also included an introductory corner featuring the University's entrepreneurship, innovation, and national and development programs. A video broadcast at the booth, "Cisco Country Digital Acceleration," demonstrated the deep partnership between KAUST and Cisco Saudi Arabia in using transformative technologies to advance digital innovation for the future. KAUST Innovation also participated in various workshops at the conference led by Professor Hattan Ahmed, Head of the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center. KAUST signed five strategic Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) at LEAP. Its first agreement with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology aims to achieve fruitful cooperation between the two parties to support research and development in communication and information technology such as 5G and 6G, and various other applications, including smart solutions, the Internet of Things (IoT) and online education. An MoU with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) intends to advance collaboration programs in research, innovation and education to meet national challenges in energy, life sciences, desert agriculture, semiconductors and water. KAUST's agreement with ENOWA – NEOM will integrate AI-led technologies into the energy sector of the Kingdom. The University signed an MoU with Microsoft to develop the capabilities necessary to access world-class research and technologies and accelerate innovation. Finally, KAUST signed an MoU with the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) to develop a fruitful strategic research partnership that will enable the institutes to leverage KAUST's global research excellence in advanced communication technologies, AI and emerging technologies to transform how Saudi society communicates and does business — goals that support Saudi Vision 2030 through innovation and research in technical fields. — SG
