RIC Hosts its First Entrepreneurship Advisory Board Meeting
In a strategic move to strengthen research and innovation, Prince Sultan University (PSU), represented by the Research and Initiatives Center (RIC), hosted its first welcome meeting of the Entrepreneurship Advisory Council. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dhafer Almakhles, Director of RIC, and brought together a distinguished group of experts and leaders from the academic, industrial, and healthcare sectors to exchange insights and visions on the future of research and innovation within and beyond the university.
Among the external members were:
- Dr. Ahmed Abu Salah, Acting Director, Center for Health Intelligence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre
- Dr. Ameen Abadi, Director of Technology Commercialization, Research Products Development Company
- Mr. Bader Al-Salhan, CEO, TechShop KSA
- Mr. Salman Butt, Co-Founder, KnowledgeX
- Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Ardhi, Head of Legal Affairs, General Authority for Media Regulation
- Ms. Ahad Alghathbar, Project Manager, Ministry of Defense
- Mr. Faisal Almaklas, CEO, Torod
From Prince Sultan University, participants included:
- Prof. Dhafer Almakhles, Director, RIC
- Prof. Mohamed Bououdina, Associate Director, RIC
- Prof. Tanzila Saba, Associate Director, RIC
- Dr. Salma Abdulrahman, Intellectual Property Specialist, Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office
- Mr. Mohammed Abdelal, Business Development Coordinator, RIC
- Ms. Faten Alowais, Business Development Coordinator, RIC
- Dr. Sultan Arab, Faculty Member, College of Law
- Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Helali, Faculty Member, College of Computer and Information Sciences
Prof. Dhafer Almakhles opened the meeting with welcoming remarks, introducing RIC’s mission and vision. He emphasized that establishing this council marks a significant milestone toward developing an innovative research environment that supports technology commercialization and contributes to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly in building a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation.
The meeting was characterized by insightful discussions and inspiring ideas from the council members, reflecting their shared commitment to strengthening collaboration, expanding research partnerships, and supporting entrepreneurial and technology-driven initiatives.
Council members unanimously highlighted the importance of enhancing the impact of applied scientific research and aligning its outcomes with national priorities. They also stressed the need to empower the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem through the launch of multidisciplinary programs, initiatives, and projects.
Additionally, they emphasized the development of technology commercialization and marketing frameworks to ensure that research outputs are transformed into high-value products and services, underscoring that the integration of academic and industrial expertise is key to building a thriving and sustainable research environment.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Dhafer Almakhles affirmed that the council serves as an effective platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. He noted that the council’s recommendations will play a vital role in shaping RIC’s strategic plans and enhancing the university’s impact in research and innovation. He concluded by extending his sincere appreciation to all council members for their valuable participation and contributions.
The meeting concluded with a guided tour of PSU’s state-of-the-art laboratories, where members were introduced to the university’s advanced research facilities, resources that form a cornerstone of PSU’s ongoing journey toward research and innovation excellence.