The Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST) has awarded the winners of the third edition of the Co-Innovation Award, recognizing three innovative technology products developed collaboratively by service providers and end users. The results, announced via the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), highlight solutions created by six organizations and reflect the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening local technology products for global competition. The winning products are DocCerts, Faseeh, and Muneer.
Context and Background
The Co-Innovation Award was launched by CST in 2022 as an initiative designed to motivate service providers to create innovative products in collaboration with their end users. Its purpose is twofold: to encourage practical, user-driven innovation and to raise the quality of Saudi technology products so they can compete confidently in international markets.
The initiative has gained considerable momentum. Over the past two years, more than 200 collaborative products have participated in the award, and nine have received recognition. Development of these products has involved partnerships among government entities, international companies, and local technology firms, creating a broad ecosystem of cooperation that extends well beyond any single organization.
Key Details: The Three Winning Products
The third edition recognized three distinct solutions. DocCerts, developed by Smart Transformation Company in collaboration with Aramco, focuses on documenting digital certificates using blockchain technology. Its design emphasizes secure, verifiable records, an increasingly important requirement as institutions digitize their records and transactions.
Faseeh, a linguistic tool, was created through a partnership between Lisan Company and the Saudi Electricity Company. The product demonstrates how advanced language technology can be applied to serve users and institutions, supporting the growth of high-quality Arabic digital content and services.
Muneer was developed by Shared Technologies Company in collaboration with the Digital Government Authority. The product is designed to improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities and older people to digital content and services, embedding inclusion at the heart of digital service delivery.
Implications and Impact
The recognition carries significance beyond the individual products. By rewarding collaboration between service providers and end users, CST reinforces a model in which technology is shaped by the people who use it. The three winning products address practical priorities, including digital trust, language capability, and accessibility, that affect a wide range of public and private services.
The partnerships behind these solutions also illustrate the value of cross-sector cooperation. Government entities, national companies, and specialized technology firms each contributed distinct strengths, from regulatory and operational expertise to technical development. For international audiences, the outcome signals that Saudi Arabia’s digital ecosystem is maturing, with local firms producing solutions that can be adapted to other markets. The award also encourages continued investment in research, talent, and product development across the Kingdom.
Vision 2030 Alignment
The Co-Innovation Award directly supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives of building a diversified, knowledge-based economy and accelerating digital transformation. By encouraging collaboration, rewarding innovation, and raising the standard of local technology products, the initiative helps develop national capabilities, improve digital services, and strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a regional and global technology hub. The third edition’s winners reflect this forward-looking direction, showing how shared effort can produce solutions with lasting value for users at home and partners abroad.
20 Questions
Q1. What is the Co-Innovation Award?
A1. The Co-Innovation Award is an initiative launched by the Communications, Space, and Technology Commission in 2022 to motivate service providers to build innovative products together with end users, strengthening local technology products for global competition.
Q2. Which Saudi authority presented the third edition of the award?
A2. The Communications, Space, and Technology Commission, commonly known as CST, presented the third edition of the Co-Innovation Award. The results were announced officially through the Saudi Press Agency, underscoring the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting collaborative digital innovation.
Q3. When was the Co-Innovation Award first launched?
A3. CST launched the Co-Innovation Award in 2022, establishing an annual platform that recognizes collaborative technology products. Over the two years since its creation, the initiative has grown steadily, attracting participation from across Saudi Arabia’s expanding digital economy.
Q4. How many collaborative products have participated in the award over the past two years?
A4. According to official Saudi information, more than 200 collaborative products have participated in the Co-Innovation Award over the past two years. This broad participation reflects strong engagement from service providers, end users, and technology partners across the Kingdom’s digital sector.
Q5. How many products have received the award to date?
A5. Nine products have received the Co-Innovation Award across its editions, selected from more than 200 participating collaborative products. The recognition highlights solutions that demonstrate practical value, technical quality, and strong cooperation between service providers and their end users.
Q6. What is DocCerts?
A6. DocCerts is an innovative technology product focused on documenting digital certificates using blockchain technology. It was recognized in the third edition of the Co-Innovation Award for its secure and verifiable approach to certificate documentation, supporting trust and transparency in digital transactions.
Q7. Which organizations developed DocCerts?
A7. DocCerts was developed by Smart Transformation Company in collaboration with Aramco. The partnership combined specialized local technology expertise with the resources of one of the world’s largest energy and industrial companies, illustrating how cross-sector cooperation can produce advanced digital solutions.
Q8. How does blockchain support DocCerts?
A8. Blockchain technology provides DocCerts with a secure, tamper-resistant method for recording and verifying digital certificates. This approach strengthens document integrity and enables reliable authentication, which is increasingly important as governments and businesses move more services into digital environments.
Q9. What is Faseeh?
A9. Faseeh is a linguistic tool created to support Arabic language processing and related digital applications. It was recognized in the third edition of the Co-Innovation Award for demonstrating how advanced language technology can serve users, institutions, and the wider Arabic-speaking world.
Q10. Who partnered to create Faseeh?
A10. Faseeh was created through a partnership between Lisan Company and the Saudi Electricity Company. Their collaboration pairs linguistic technology expertise with the operational experience of a major national utility, showing how diverse organizations can jointly develop tools that benefit Arabic-language digital services.
Q11. What is Muneer?
A11. Muneer is a technology product designed to improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities and older people to digital content and services. It was recognized in the third edition of the Co-Innovation Award for advancing inclusive design across Saudi Arabia’s growing digital platforms.
Q12. Which organizations developed Muneer?
A12. Muneer was developed by Shared Technologies Company in collaboration with the Digital Government Authority. The partnership reflects the Kingdom’s focus on inclusive digital government services, ensuring that accessibility considerations are built into national platforms and content from the outset.
Q13. Which groups does Muneer aim to support?
A13. Muneer aims to support individuals with disabilities and older people, helping them access digital content and services more easily. The product addresses a key principle of inclusive technology: that digital transformation should deliver benefits across all segments of society.
Q14. How many organizations contributed to the three winning products?
A14. Six organizations contributed to the three winning products recognized in the third edition. They include Smart Transformation Company, Aramco, Lisan Company, the Saudi Electricity Company, Shared Technologies Company, and the Digital Government Authority, representing a mix of private firms and public entities.
Q15. What is the main objective of the Co-Innovation Award?
A15. The main objective is to motivate service providers to create innovative products in collaboration with end users. By rewarding successful partnerships, the award encourages continuous improvement in local technology offerings and prepares Saudi products to compete effectively in international markets.
Q16. What types of partners have contributed to awarded products?
A16. Awarded products have involved partnerships among government entities, international companies, and local technology firms. This mix of participants brings together regulatory insight, global expertise, and regional market knowledge, creating solutions that are both technically advanced and well suited to local needs.
Q17. How does the award support Saudi Arabia’s technology sector?
A17. The award supports the technology sector by publicly recognizing successful collaboration, encouraging knowledge sharing, and inspiring more organizations to co-develop products. It also signals to investors and global companies that Saudi Arabia offers a productive environment for digital innovation and partnership.
Q18. What is the Digital Technology Forum’s role in this context?
A18. The Digital Technology Forum provides a prominent platform for discussing Saudi Arabia’s digital progress and celebrating achievements such as the Co-Innovation Award. It brings together decision-makers, technology leaders, and innovators to explore how collaboration can accelerate the Kingdom’s digital economy.
Q19. How do the winning products support global competitiveness?
A19. The winning products strengthen global competitiveness by demonstrating that locally developed solutions can meet high standards of security, functionality, and inclusivity. Their success encourages further investment in Saudi technology, helping Kingdom-based firms position themselves for international markets and partnerships.
Q20. How does the Co-Innovation Award align with Vision 2030?
A20. The award aligns with Vision 2030 by promoting innovation, digital transformation, and collaboration between the public and private sectors. It supports the growth of a diversified, knowledge-based economy and helps build national capabilities that advance the Kingdom’s long-term development goals.
Reader Feedback
We value your thoughts. Please share your feedback on this article.
Your feedback helps us improve our coverage.