Riyadh: The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) launched the first phase of the Research-to-Market Innovation Accelerator Program with the start of its bootcamp, organized in collaboration with the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA) and Community Jameel Saudi, with the participation of 15 research teams from universities across the Kingdom, selected from more than 200 applications.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the four-day bootcamp aims to empower national talent to transform their scientific innovations into scalable commercial products by equipping them with the skills needed to explore market opportunities, build business models, and understand the fundamentals of financial management for innovation-driven projects. The program also introduces technology transfer mechanisms from laboratories to the business environment, supporting the establishment of deep-tech startups.
The bootcamp includes a package of specialized training sessions and workshops in addition to coaching participants on project pitching and presentation skills before experts, enhancing their readiness to enter the market.
Following the bootcamp, the program will proceed to its second phase, which features an intensive four-month training period that provides mentoring sessions for the participating teams. During this phase, each team will engage with more than 40 potential customers to assess market opportunities, understand customer needs, and validate the suitability of their developed solutions, further strengthening the readiness of research projects to transition into promising investment ventures.
At the conclusion of the Research-to-Market Innovation Accelerator Program, the top three research projects will be selected to join the Jameel Initiative for Deep Tech, opening broader prospects for growth and expansion.
The program is organized as part of KACST's efforts to strengthen the national innovation ecosystem, with support from Academy 32 and The Garage, to empower researchers and innovators and align their research projects with national priorities in human health, environmental sustainability and essential needs, leadership in energy and industry, and future economies - contributing to transforming innovations into solutions with tangible economic impact, creating high-quality jobs, and enhancing the Kingdom's global competitiveness in line with Saudi Vision 2030.