King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Aramco have signed an IP license agreement for commercialisation of the Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Crawler Technology (HUCT).
This innovation merges
aerial and terrestrial robotic capabilities to support inspection, monitoring,
and other advanced industrial applications. 
This agreement allows
Aramco to further develop and implement HUCT across its operations and beyond,
reinforcing its emphasis on technology leadership and operational efficiency.
It marks a milestone
in KAUST’s mission to speed up the translation of research into real-world
applications, aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. 
The HUCT was
co-invented by a team of researchers from KAUST and Aramco, with contributions
coming from former KAUST alumni who now work for Aramco.
The agreement not only
highlights the parties’ innovation capacity but also emphasises the growing
influence of KAUST’s alumni network in the Kingdom's industrial R&D
landscape. 
Ali Al Meshari, Aramco
Senior Vice President of Technology Oversight & Coordination, said: "We
are proud to collaborate with KAUST, a partnership that embodies our strategic
commitment to harnessing academic expertise and scientific excellence to drive
technological innovation. The HUCT is a groundbreaking example of this
collaboration, enabling the detection and maintenance of asset integrity and
reliability in our core business. By leveraging robotics and sensing solutions,
we can now inspect elevated facilities in a safer, more efficient manner,
reducing risks and improving our overall energy efficiency and HSE standards.
This partnership not only fosters the growth of such inventions for specific
industrial applications but also underscores our shared vision for a safer,
more sustainable future.”
Dr Ian Campbell,
Senior Vice President of the KAUST National Transformation Institute (NTI),
said: “This agreement reflects KAUST’s commitment to delivering solutions
that have meaningful national impact and demonstrates the success of our model
in driving innovation to market. It is also a great example of the talent
pipeline we are cultivating — KAUST alumni are shaping the future of innovation
from within major global organisations like Aramco.” 
Campbell added: “Through its work at the National Transformation Institute and its emphasis on sectors such as robotics, AI, and sustainability, KAUST is bridging scientific discovery with commercialisation to directly enhance the Kingdom’s Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) ecosystem. Robotics represents a significant research focus for Saudi Arabia’s national priority of “Economies of the Future.” -OGN/ TradeArabia News Service
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