King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has strengthened its international partnerships and Saudi-Italy ties in research, innovation, and advanced technology during the Saudi-Italian Investment and Business Forum held in Riyadh.
The Business Forum follows this year’s declaration to elevate bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Italy, signed by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Inaugurated by the Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih, and Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, KAUST announced three strategic MoUs with leading Italian academic and industrial institutions, as well as a new joint scholarship program.
These key collaborations asserts KAUST’s role as a driving force in international partnerships that support the Kingdom’s scientific and economic transformation. It also reflect the university’s commitment to advancing Vision 2030 priorities by expanding cooperation across microelectronics, artificial intelligence, life sciences, robotics, advanced sensing, and maritime innovation.
Together, these collaborations strengthen talent pipelines, accelerate technology transfer, and open new opportunities for joint research that link Saudi Arabia and Italy in high-impact scientific domains. Representing the University at the forum was Dean of the Computer, Electrical, and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE) Professor Gianluca Setti.
MoUs signed by KAUST at Saudi-Italian Business Forum
KAUST and Politecnico di Torino University signed a 5-year MoU establishing a broad partnership spanning joint research, academic exchange, and training programs.
Image credits: KAUST | Cropped by GBN
The partnership, signed by the University VP Professor Arwa Yousuf Al-Aama and Politecnico di Torino Deputy Rector Professor Elena Baralis, focuses on joint research in micro- and nanoelectronics, AI, energy, smart health, and food and water technologies.
The agreement enables dual PhD opportunities, joint-funded projects, researcher exchanges, and shared academic activities between the two universities.
KAUST has also signed an MoU with ELT Group to develop a platform that brings scientific breakthroughs to business applications, ensuring that cutting-edge research is not confined to academic circles but reaches the industrial ecosystem of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Image credits: KAUST | Cropped by GBN
The collaboration, agreed under Vice President of Research at the University Professor Pierre Magistretti, includes cooperation to address some of the most complex challenges, while also focusing on joint research and studies on emerging technologies, specialized training programs, and access to state-of-the-art testing facilities.
Building on ELT’s established presence in the Kingdom, the partnership aligns its applied expertise with the University’s research strengths in communications, sensing, and security-related technologies.
Image credits: KAUST | Cropped by GBN
An expanded MoU strengthens ties between KAUST and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in life sciences, robotics, neuromorphic computing, micro- and nanoelectronics, smart sensing, advanced materials, and computational sciences. It also enables researcher and student exchanges, joint workshops, and coordinated technology transfer activities over the coming years.
Image credits: KAUST | Cropped by GBN
KAUST and Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders, has unveiled a new scholarship program to support research in maritime security, cyber resilience, and next-generation navigation technologies. The program, stemming from an earlier MoU, aids emerging researchers in AIS authentication, GPS spoofing detection, and machine-learning-based navigation, fostering talent in a vital global maritime sector.
Prof. Gianluca Setti KAUST University
“These agreements highlight the strength of Saudi–Italian cooperation and the vital role that international partnerships play in advancing research, technology development, and talent creation. By connecting KAUST’s scientific capabilities with Italy’s leading universities and technology companies, we are opening new pathways for innovation that align with Saudi Arabia’s priorities for economic diversification and a knowledge-based future.”
The Saudi–Italian Investment and Business Forum provided a major platform for the University to advance global partnerships that support research excellence, high-impact innovation, and the development of future-ready human capital. Through these MoUs and initiatives, KAUST continues to play a leading role in positioning Saudi Arabia as an international hub for advanced science and technology.
