The CEO and president of US-based marketing services firm Acxiom, which is also a founding member of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s industrial collaboration programme (KICP), recently toured the university campus in Thuwal.

John Meyer’s visit comes only three months after Acxiom joined the programme, where it sits on the Kaust industrial advisory board alongside other founding partners, providing guidance to the research being executed on the main campus in Thuwal, as well as through the significant global collaborative research network.

The Acxiom delegation saw firsthand the library, the visualization centre (Cornea), and Shaheen – Kaust’s supercomputer named after the iconic Arabian falcon.

“First and foremost, I must congratulate the leaders and the people of Saudi Arabia for this remarkable achievement,” said Meyer.

“Seeing is indeed believing and Kaust is no doubt the university of the future.”

He continued: “Our core capabilities at Acxiom are driven by innovation and our goal is to enable not only knowledge transfer, but also organic research and development. Our vision is echoed by the Kaust mission and we look forward to working closely with the university on a number of promising initiatives.”

KICP is designed to maximize industrial collaboration within Saudi Arabia, as well as internationally by engaging key partners, all with a keen interest in translating knowledge into economic growth and job creation.

Meyer’s visit demonstrates Acxiom’s commitment to the region after the recent establishment of its Mena operations, which came as a result of the corporation’s September 2009 acquisition of Direct Media Services (DMS) in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a statement said. – TradeArabia News Service