Qualcomm and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Advance 6G and AI Research

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Qualcomm Technologies International and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have announced a strategic collaboration encompassing education and skills development, applied research, commercialization support, and early-career opportunities in the fields of 6G and artificial intelligence (AI), aimed at helping Saudi Arabia build advanced technology capabilities and accelerating the development of solutions aligned with the Kingdom's innovation priorities.

The collaboration spans multiple areas, including 5G, 6G, and AI training and course development, applied research in autonomous systems and edge AI, commercialization and startup programs, intellectual property education, and internship opportunities. Mohammed Yaqoub, Managing Director of Qualcomm Saudi Arabia, stated that this collaboration reflects a shared commitment to investing in talent, research, and pathways for translating advanced technologies into practical applications, supporting capability building in 6G and edge AI, and helping research progress toward scalable solutions.

Professor Omar Knio, Dean of the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division at KAUST, noted that the collaboration will strengthen the links between research, education, and innovation, supporting talent development and intellectual property creation within Saudi Arabia's innovation ecosystem by bringing cutting-edge research closer to commercial applications.

In terms of talent training, KAUST students will gain access to 5G and AI courses delivered by Qualcomm technology engineers through the Qualcomm Academy e-learning platform, covering AI fundamentals, generative AI, edge AI, on-device AI, and core concepts in 5G and wireless communications, laying the groundwork for 6G technologies. Students may also participate in advanced 5G certification and specialized training involving cellular communications, network fundamentals, 5G architecture, millimeter-wave technology, massive MIMO, and protocol design. Qualcomm Technologies will provide KAUST with complimentary training access and a limited number of certification licenses.

In applied research, the two parties will collaborate through the Qualcomm University Relations Platform Program, with research directions including 6G wireless technologies, autonomous systems, edge AI, and wireless sensing, exploring applications such as digital twins, physical AI, RF sensing, agentic AI, and extended reality. KAUST researchers will use the Qualcomm Dragonwing robotics platform, the Qualcomm RB5 flight platform, and other Qualcomm AI technologies to study on-device intelligence in robotics, sensing, XR, and industrial applications.

Specific projects already underway at KAUST's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering include AI-driven underwater exploration, real-time augmented reality parking assistance, and intelligent structural health monitoring. The intelligent structural health monitoring project applies edge AI to monitor infrastructure conditions in critical environments, including oil and gas operations. The research program aims to develop scalable on-device intelligence for infrastructure, energy, and sustainable industrial operations.

Commercialization is another key component of this collaboration. KAUST spin-off company MOBISENSE recently completed the first training cohort of the "Design in Saudi Arabia with AI" program (DISAI-2025), utilizing the Qualcomm AI ecosystem during development, including Qualcomm AI Hub and Qualcomm Device Cloud, to support model discovery, optimization, device selection, and deployment.

The collaboration will also foster greater awareness and practical understanding of intellectual property. The two parties will explore opportunities to expand IP education through the L2Pro Saudi Arabia platform. L2Pro Saudi Arabia is a free online platform designed for startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and researchers, helping them understand how to protect, commercialize, and scale their innovations. The parties are exploring the platform's application together with Saudi universities, including KAUST, as part of a broader effort to connect IP education with research commercialization and startup growth.

In workforce development, Qualcomm Technologies plans to host KAUST interns starting this summer, with the first cohort including two students from KAUST's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who will gain hands-on industry experience in areas related to wireless technology and semiconductor innovation.

This collaboration combines KAUST's research capabilities with Qualcomm's industry expertise, charting a path from education and research to commercial applications. The initiative is expected to help Saudi Arabia build advanced capabilities in wireless technology and AI while nurturing the next generation of innovators.