Strategic Innovation Infrastructure in Scientific Research: A Departmental Model in Progress for Cultivating Research and Entrepreneurship

الملخص

This case study addresses the need for structured innovation infrastructure at the departmental level to foster research and entrepreneurship in Saudi universities. The Physics Department at King Abdulaziz University established a Scientific Research Committee that developed a departmental model in progress, operationalized through seven coordinated initiatives designed to enhance faculty research productivity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and undergraduate research engagement. Methods included establishing a faculty research activity tracking system (2021–2024), delivering targeted research skills workshops, developing a tailored academic mentorship program, piloting undergraduate research activities, compiling a departmental research funding executive summary, and launching a research resource database. Early outcomes demonstrate improvements in research visibility, faculty development, and student participation, consistent with entrepreneurial-ecosystem and absorptive-capacity perspectives that link human capital, infrastructure, and networks to innovation outcomes. Challenges such as uneven faculty engagement, resource constraints, and limited coordination mechanisms were identified during the development phases. In conclusion, this evolving model has laid a solid foundation for scalable departmental structures that align with institutional priorities and contribute to Saudi Vision 2030 innovation goals. It offers practical insights into how departmental-level structures can progressively build scalable research and entrepreneurship ecosystems to drive long-term academic impact.