King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Lenovo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to inaugurate the Lenovo Innovation and Creativity Centre in the Kingdom. The facility is set to become the first innovation center in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to accelerate digital transformation and enhance cooperation in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Performance Computing (HPC).
The partnership will see KACST and Lenovo collaborate on developing the largest and most sustainable high performance computing cluster with the specific goal to accelerate the research, development and commercialization of solutions related to multiple verticals including genomics, satellite image interpretation, environment, and clean energy.
The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the LEAP Technical International Conference, in the presence of Hakem Al Sagri, Vice President of Digital Transformation at KACST and Giovanni Di Filippo, EMEA President, Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group, as well as other high-level delegates from KACST and Lenovo.
Commenting on the partnership, Hakem Al Sagri, said: “Our partnership with Lenovo, a global leader, will help us explore opportunities to identify industry-specific solutions that will help the socio-economic development of the country. The collaboration will also allow us to further enhance our digital capabilities and will open doors to establish and develop a technology incubator platform, exchange experiences, and business development methodologies.”
Giovanni Di Filippo commented: “The growth of digitalization in the Kingdom is on a rapid scale, and a new era is right around the corner. This requires technology and innovation to play a critical role in setting a new foundation and framework for the future. Keeping this in mind, not only will Lenovo play a key role in supporting innovation and development, but in the overall collaborative strategy of advancing digital transformation across the Kingdom supporting the government’s 2030 vision. We look forward to supporting KACST with our core competencies and aim to provide guidance, rationale, and support in key challenge areas.”
The collaboration will also see Lenovo benefiting from the city’s services and products related technology, particularly in the Innovation Tower. Other benefits include access to laboratories available for the testing and prototyping of new products and consultations from experts in the field of HPC.
