RIYADH: Dr. Faris Al-Mayah, a biotechnologist, has won the First Creativity and Innovation Competition Award 2012 under the Badir Program for Technology Incubator (BPTI) for developing a medical device that treats tumors with ultrasound technology and high-frequency heat.
The event, described as the first of its kind in the Kingdom, was part of the Ministry of Health's program to encourage innovation in the health care sector.
As many as 217 experts had participated in the competition, which was evaluated by a jury of experts drawn from both government agencies and the public to pick out the prize-winning entry in terms of creativity and business potential.
Al-Mayah, who is a biotechnology incubator under the Badir program belonging to King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), secured first place in the innovation national competition that was organized by the King Fahd Medical City (KFMC) in Riyadh recently and sponsored by Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah.
Lauding the initiative of the Ministry of Health for promoting a spirit of creativity in health care, Al-Rabeeah said it would also lead to optimum utilization of resources and a slew of other innovative ideas within the framework of the MoH programs. He added that the festival will be organized annually to include all sections of the ministry.
Speaking on the occasion, the KFMC Executive General Manager Abdullah Al Amro said the MoH, represented by the KFMC, will support the three best winners in the festival in order to nurture their ideas to the advanced stage of manufacturing. He noted that the ministry has now carved out its own niche in terms of supporting and incubating creative ventures.
"The MoH has set a great example for other government sectors to follow,” said Abdulaziz Al Hargan, executive director of Badir. He underlined Badir’s all-out support for such initiatives within the framework of its program to bring out the sparks of creativity and innovation among innovators under the leadership of KACST.
He pointed out that the program played a complementary role in bringing incubators and mentors from different sectors together and help them turn their ideas into promising business ventures.
“The winning project has been nestled in an incubator Badir for Biotechnology dealing with such innovations, and a three-dimensional display, which helped to clarify the idea of innovation designed in an incubator. The whole process forms part of the advanced manufacturing custom device available for the design of these dimensions.”
Biotechnologist wins Badir creativity award for 2012
