Riyadh: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), in partnership with the Research, Development and Innovation Authority, has launched a program to accelerate innovation from research to market. The program aims to empower researchers and innovators to transform their innovations into market-ready products by exploring potential customer needs, understanding market opportunities, and acquiring the scientific skills that support their journey toward commercialization.

According to Saudi Press Agency, the program is part of KACST's efforts to support the national innovation network and develop scalable business models, in addition to enhancing researchers' and innovators' skills in market analysis and product design. These efforts help increase the Kingdom's competitiveness in research, development and innovation, and contribute to achieving the goals of Vision 2030 and the national aspirations for strengthening the innovation ecosystem.

The program is carried out in two phases. The first phase begins with a training bootcamp featuring interactive sessions, workshops, and group activities designed to introduce participants to the concepts of transforming innovations from the lab to the market. The second phase focuses on intensive training that equips participating teams with the tools needed to understand customer needs and design business models, alongside providing specialized mentorship to help turn their research outputs into marketable products and services. The program concludes with participants presenting their innovative solutions before a specialized judging panel for project evaluation, followed by the announcement of the winners.

The program is expected to contribute to creating high-quality job opportunities in innovation and technology transfer, boost the knowledge-based economy's contribution to the national GDP, strengthen the Kingdom's position as a regional innovation hub, and support the establishment of startups in deep technology fields.