CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 24, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In his
first official tour to the United
States as Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman's visit today in
Greater Boston focused on
nurturing ties between the private sector and academia of the two
nations. The second annual Innovation to Impact Forum took
place in conjunction with the Crown Prince's visit and was held
earlier today at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT) as part of
an ongoing collaboration among King Abdulaziz City for Science and
Technology (KACST), King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology (KAUST) and the General Authority of Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEA).
The event featured a ceremony where new collaborative agreements
were signed between key forum participants from the academic and
private sectors and inaugurated by the Crown Prince. The agreements
included:
- A collaborative agreement between Saudi Aramco and MIT focused on global energy, climate,
environmental sciences, and the transformation and sustainable
development of the energy sector. This was signed by
Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco and
L. Rafael Reif, MIT President.
- Extension of the Ibn Khaldun Fellowship program at MIT with the support of KACST. The program brings
post-doctoral Saudi women scientists and engineers to MIT to conduct research and advance as leaders in
their respective fields. This was signed by Dr. Turki Al Saud, President of KACST and L. Rafael Reif, MIT
President.
- A collaborative agreement between SABIC and MIT that focuses on design and testing of a novel
reactor for combustion pyrolysis of methane. This was signed by L.
Rafael Reif, MIT President and Dr. Fahad AlSherehy, VP of SABIC
Innovations.
- A collaborative agreement between KACST and MIT to further support the Center of Complex
Engineering Systems to advance interdisciplinary research in
complex engineering systems such as
air and rail transportation systems, urban development, and the
improvement of electrical grid and water distribution networks.
This was signed by Dr. Turki Al
Saud, President of KACST and L. Rafael Reif, MIT
President.
- A collaborative agreement between KACST and Brigham and Women's
Hospital for the Center of Excellence for Biomedicine to focus on
three key medical research projects. This was signed by Dr. Turki
AlSaud, President of KACST and and Erinn
Crane, Senior Agreement Advisor and Contracts Team Lead at
Brigham and Women's Hospital.
- A collaborative agreement between KAUST, Research Products
Development Company RPDC, and Saudi VAX. This agreement will
establish the Saudi Vaccine and Bio-manufacturing Center at
KAUST.
The event also incorporated an innovation gallery exhibit, with
participants such as KAUST, KASCT, Saudi Aramco, SABIC and
Boston Dynamics, showcasing technologies, innovations and technical
collaborations with local entities. The Crown Prince and
distinguished attendees toured the exhibit, and held an open
dialogue with scientists and innovators, where they discussed the
technologies, solutions and innovations that will help advance
Vision 2030 emerging from Saudi talent in the Boston area. A blueprint for Saudi Arabia's future, Vision 2030 is centered
on three themes, which are reflected in the programmatic focuses at
Innovation to Impact: a vibrant society, a thriving economy
and an ambitious nation.
"The United States and the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are
prosperous countries, each with tremendous natural and human
resources—yet neither of us can go it alone," said the Saudi
Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Khalid Al-Falih, in the keynote address. "The
same holds true for even the most brilliant scientist or
researcher, the most capable engineer or technician, and the most
successful businessman or investor: we all need one another to
grow, thrive and move forward toward a brighter future."
Photos of the gallery tour and all agreements signed are
available by request.
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SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi
Arabia, Information Office