KAUST hosted the first SAP Mobile Hackathon on its campus from February 7-9, with 38 developers and designers participating. The hackathon focused on creating mobile apps for future smart cities and was the result of a partnership between SAP, KAUST Innovation and Economic Development, KAUST IT, and the KAUST Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering division. Approximately 55% of the participants were women. Why it matters: The event highlights KAUST's commitment to fostering innovation and developing talent in Saudi Arabia, particularly in areas like software development and AI, to support the growth of smart cities in the region.
MBZUAI is hosting the K2 Think Hackathon, challenging participants to develop applications using the K2 Think reasoning model developed with G42. The hackathon involves a global idea call followed by a 48-hour build challenge in Abu Dhabi for the top 10 teams. The winning feature will be integrated into the K2 Think application. Why it matters: This hackathon provides a valuable opportunity to test and shape a cutting-edge AI model, potentially leading to innovative applications in various sectors like finance and education within the UAE and beyond.
KAUST hosted the JUNCTIONxKAUST hackathon, bringing together developers and entrepreneurs to design technologies for food, water, and energy solutions to be implemented in NEOM. The winning team, eFarmers, will attend the global Junction hackathon in Helsinki. Participants addressed challenges related to producing food in the desert, creating fresh water at sea, and harnessing renewable energy. Why it matters: The event highlights Saudi Arabia's focus on fostering local talent and innovation to address critical challenges in sustainable development and technology within the context of NEOM.
KAUST hosted Saudi Arabia's first National Hackathon of Energy, in partnership with the Saudi Electricity Company's Innovation Energy Incubator. Innovators collaborated to find technical solutions for the Kingdom's energy challenges. Three projects were honored: AI-HUB for cybersecurity, a smart circuit breaker, and 'Amn Al-Kafa’at,' a fire extinguisher system. Why it matters: This hackathon highlights the growing focus on using AI and technology to address energy challenges in Saudi Arabia, with KAUST playing a central role in fostering innovation.
The Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) recently concluded a Generative AI Hackathon, bringing together participants to innovate with generative artificial intelligence technologies. The event aimed to foster local talent and drive advancements in the field within Qatar. Participants developed various solutions and prototypes using generative AI models and tools. Why it matters: This hackathon signifies Qatar's commitment to cultivating a strong AI ecosystem and developing skilled professionals in cutting-edge AI domains like generative AI.
KAUST's Supercomputing Laboratory and NVIDIA co-hosted the "Accelerating Scientific Applications Using GPUs" workshop, attended by 120 participants. The event included technical sessions, guest lectures from KAUST faculty and NVIDIA, and presentations on KAUST applications developed on NVIDIA GPUs. KAUST also held its first hackathon, where teams ported scientific applications to GPU accelerators with guidance from KAUST and NVIDIA mentors. Why it matters: This collaboration strengthens KAUST's position as a hub for high-performance computing and GPU-accelerated research in the region, fostering talent development and collaboration with industry partners.