KAUST participants from the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TIE) program elevated the Kingdom’s global academic reputation at the International Business Plan Competition (IBPC), with two students on the winning team, two on the second-place team and one on the third — further solidifying the University’s educational standing. 

In total, 12 TIE students participated in the IBPC annual event, held January 2-11, which united top universities from around the world for innovation and cross-cultural collaboration. This year’s competition, hosted in Austin, Texas, by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, focused on transportation and logistics. 

Abdullah Al Hamoud and Faisal Alamri, part of the winning team, collaborated with international colleagues to develop a drone-based solution addressing the critical time sensitivity in organ transport for transplants. They credit their success to a relevant idea, a practical solution, strong teamwork, effective communication and adaptability. 

“It was a testament to our hard work and a reminder that dedication pays off,” said Al Hamoud. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented teammates, and I acknowledge that a bit of luck in assembling such a strong team played a role too.” 

According to Alamri, KAUST and the TIE program were integral in preparing him and fellow TIE participants for the event. TIE is a master’s program that equips its students with the skills to turn research into innovative, market-ready solutions to support Saudi Vision 2030 goals and KAUST’s Accelerating Impact strategy. 

“The program gave us the resources and support we needed to participate and succeed,” he added. “It also helped us develop our skills in innovation and entrepreneurship, which are important for my career.” 

Sponsoring with global peers 

KAUST joined IBPC as a sponsor through TIE, alongside peers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the University of Bayreuth. The event aligned with KAUST’s strategic priorities, emphasizing research commercialization, international partnerships and global collaboration. 

Participants engaged in activities such as visiting Tesla’s assembly line, the Port of Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center, Google and the GM Innovation Hub. They gained firsthand insights into cutting-edge technologies and industry practices. In facilitating these opportunities, KAUST reinforced its commitment to preparing students for impactful careers while strengthening its role as a driver of transformative research and education. 

By sponsoring IBPC, KAUST also demonstrated its dedication to entrepreneurship, offering students a platform to collaborate with global peers, develop practical solutions and address real-world challenges. For TIE students, IBPC enhanced their readiness to join or create startups that could eventually enter KAUST’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. 

An impactful experience 

For Al Hamoud, whose ultimate goal is to establish successful businesses and eventually enter the venture capital sector to support other entrepreneurs, IBPC was a chance to grow academically, professionally and personally. 

“The experience enhanced my understanding of entrepreneurship, teamwork and problem-solving,” he said, adding that meeting a diversity of students and professionals sharing common creative goals was inspiring. “It also reinforced my passion for innovation and gave me the confidence to pursue future challenges in my career.” 

Similarly, Alamri described IBPC as an “amazing experience” that allowed him to meet like-minded individuals from around the world and participate in value-adding tours and activities. “This competition was also helpful for my future goals. I want to pursue a career in consulting, and the research and planning we did for this project was very similar to the kind of work done in consulting.” 

Meanwhile, KAUST’s Jana Alghamdi and Remas Bashanfar were on the team that placed second at IBPC, and Fahad Aldawalibi was on the team that placed third. All TIE students at IBPC delivered impressive performances.