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KAUST hosts first National Hackathon of Energy

Feb 13, 2019 News

The University recently held the first National Hackathon of Energy in Saudi Arabia in partnership with the Innovation Energy Incubator of the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). Photo by Khulud Muath

KAUST recently hosted the first National Hackathon of Energy in Saudi Arabia in partnership with the Innovation Energy Incubator of the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). Innovators in the energy field came together at the event to find technical solutions to the Kingdom's most pressing energy challenges.

"The strategic partnership between KAUST and SEC aims to promote innovation and the deployment of technology in the energy industry," stated Hattan Ahmed, head of the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center.

"The partnership between KAUST and SEC [also] helps move technology from lab to industry," he continued. "The participating teams in the event discussed energy challenges and used technology to come up with innovative solutions. The National Hackathon is the first of its kind in the country and a great platform to drive innovative solutions to industrial challenges."

Hattan Ahmed, head of the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center, speaks to the audience during the recent National Hackathon of Energy on campus. File photo.

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Three projects were honored at the end of the event: AI-HUB, artificial intelligence for cybersecurity; a smart circuit breaker for enhancing customer experience; and "Amn Al-Kafa'at," a fire extinguisher system.

The KAUST Entrepreneurship Center and SEC's Innovation Energy Incubator have been collaborating for the past 18 months to manage innovation programs that transform innovative ideas into products and services meeting SEC's needs. The previous five programs included more than 153 people in 37 teams working to transform energy challenges into innovative solutions.

Three projects received honors at the end of the recent on campus National Hackathon of Energy: AI-HUB, artificial intelligence for cybersecurity; a smart circuit breaker for enhancing customer experience; and 'Amn Al-Kafa’at,' a fire extinguisher system. Photo by Khulud Muath.

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The University's Innovation and Economic Development sponsors collaborative programs with its partners to promote the use of technology to solve challenges in different sectors. KAUST is also an incubator environment for young entrepreneurs and their projects and startups.


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