In an effort to help Saudi Arabia become globally competitive as a knowledge-based, innovative economy, the University of Jeddah (UJ) is evolving its technology transfer (TT) and intellectual property (IP) resources through an agreement that leverages expertise from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). IP includes patented inventions, groundbreaking research technologies and software, and other commercially-viable assets that have the potential to be licensed and transferred. UJ is a public university, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, focused on preparing students for career success, with undergraduate and graduate programs in disciplines including engineering, business, law, medicine, pharmacy, education and social sciences. KAUST's Technology Transfer Office (TTO) brings the leadership record that can help UJ build its nascent TTO program with strategies designed to promote self-reliance and bridge the gap between innovation and implementation. The process of translating technologies from the lab into products of meaningful impact to society involves a series of complex stages in order to achieve scalability and commercialization. This agreement between UJ and KAUST, an initiative supported by the Ministry of Education as part of Vision 2030 objectives, aims to increase knowledge transfer and learning in areas such as IP management and filing. "Boosting the tech transfer capacity within Saudi Arabia is key to the Kingdom's economic revitalization," said Sean Flanigan, KAUST director of technology transfer. "By transferring our skills and knowledge in IP management and filing to University of Jeddah, one of the top universities in the Kingdom, we aim to chart a standard of excellence that will pave the way for other institutions to follow." The University of Jeddah is well positioned to capitalize on KAUST's innovation ecosystem, with a faculty and student body contributing outstanding scholarship and innovation across multiple areas of enterprise. The agreement will help to facilitate UJ's mission to integrate academic knowledge with real-world applications in order to contribute to the Kingdom's thriving and diverse economy.
