JAIP: Bridging the Gap between Academic and Industrial Sectors
Buckle up, researchers; there is a new platform in town. The first of its kind in Jordan, this platform allows the Life-Science industry a chance to benefit from researchers’ project outcomes and competencies through dynamic matching models. JAIP, the academia-industry platform connects both parties and provides them with professional services and business consultation.
Closing the Gap
The industrial sector and the academic sector both vary in many ways in terms of vocabulary. However, they can both use expertise and knowledge to enhance both their sides. The industrial sector can benefit from the academics at universities, for example, by using their laboratories, equipment, and even their expertise and experience. This is how the idea of creating the Jordanian Academia-Industry Platform (JAIP) started by noticing the gap between the two sectors and providing an easier way for both to collaborate.
"JAIP is solving the academia-industry gap issue with its unique model of linking and connecting processes," says founder and general manager Khaled Khreisat. "JAIP is using local resources to solve local problems with local solutions."
Experience in the Field
This platform has been in the works since 2018, and it needed lots of effort to combine the two sectors and communicate with the right entities to make it possible. Integrating both sectors is a great idea, but the implementation took some time. Making sure that the platform has the right management to be able to combine both parties was essential for JAIP.
Khreisat has a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Science, with over 25 years of experience in the business development field. Therefore, he spent 2 years designing and customizing a model that can be applied locally and regionally to be the first private platform to fill the academia-industry gap and foster collaboration to convert research into tangible products or technology.
Khraisat recalls the difficulties he faced while starting out. "Due to my professional experience in the field, I faced many obstacles while implementing some funded projects with local and EU universities when we tried to cooperate with the industrial sector."
Overcoming Obstacles
JAIP filled a gap in the market but getting to where JAIP is now definitely had its challenges. Working in this industry has its limitations since there are many different entities and stakeholders to go through when trying to provide a solution for this gap in the market. However, JAIP has found solutions and opportunities around these challenges by offering services that encourage parties to work with them.
Many services are made available throughout the JAIP platform which includes:
- Scientific research projects
- Industrial Services Consultation
- GMP and Pre Audit Services
- EU & USA Exportation Services
- FDA 510 k Clearance & Premarket Approval
- CPNP Notification Services
- Students Graduation Projects
- Community Empowerment
This platform has indeed surpassed expectations in less than three years by connecting with parties locally, regionally and internationally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, JAIP played a vital role in helping industrial sectors to overcome some issues related to medical supply to local and global markets.
JAIP also helped shed light on some research and institutions in Jordan. Given the right opportunities, they have high potential, “we were surprised with the impressive quality of scientific research in universities which could compete with multinational institutions if they had more support from other universities and governments.” added Khreisat.
The Tank by Umniah
Despite the fact that JAIP is a one-of-a-kind company and the first of its kind in Jordan, the Tank by Umniah presented it with a one-of-a-kind opportunity. "We believe that without The Tank's support, we at JAIP would not have gotten this far and celebrated our achievements," Khreisat said. "We received technical and business consultations, allowing us to upgrade our model and launch it with the best version.”
In the future, JAIP hopes to collaborate with the majority, if not all, universities in Jordan and the region, as well as receive official government recognition as one of the innovative solutions to many challenges confronting scientific research and R&D in the life-science industrial sectors.