STEAM challenge develops sustainable solutions for KSA

More than 150 university students from across Jeddah participated in a three-day innovation challenge and came up with solutions to address major real-world challenges that impact Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East region. 
The event, held Jan. 19-21, was led by the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center in coordination with leaders and subject matter experts from The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) in the Middle East and Europe. Students from King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST), King Abdul-Aziz University, University of Business and Technology (UBT), University of Jeddah, Effat University, Umm Al-Qura University and Dar Al-Hekma University participated in the event.
Students with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) were selected for the STEAM challenge. With four to six members on each team, a total of 30 teams were formed with students from different universities and with different majors so that they could benefit from the diversity of their backgrounds and perspectives. 
The winning team came up with a proposal to improve energy efficiency in the Kingdom utilizing state-of-the-art technologies by Dow, coupled with relevant incentives and education to the public. A key feature is a digital platform that connects the government, property owners, construction companies and insulation manufacturers to promote insulation of residential homes. The first runners-up developed a solution to increase shelf life and maintain quality of fish and fish packaging. The second runners-up presented a proposal on how to improve energy efficiency at homes in the Kingdom. 
Chuck Swartz, president of Dow Saudi Arabia, said: “The themes of the STEAM challenges are designed to align closely to Saudi Vision 2030, Dow’s 2025 sustainability goals, and the strategic objectives of Dow in Saudi Arabia. We are truly impressed with the passion and creativity of the students as well as the solutions proposed by them. I want to thank the students for their dedication and participation and the KAUST and Dow teams for their outstanding effort in putting the event together.” 
“I was particularly pleased to see the high level of energy and enthusiasm from the participating students. This, coupled with the excellent and strong support and engagement from Dow, one of KAUST’s founding strategic partners, proved to be an extremely effective way to tap into the imagination and creativity of this diverse group,” said Tristan Walker, vice president for KAUST Innovation & Economic Development.

Source : Arab News