Status of ICT structure, infrastructure and applications existed to manage and disseminate information and knowledge of Agricultural Biotechnology Innovations

Information in Saudi Arabia

Almotairy, Hany Mohammed S. Al-Assaf

King AbdulAziz City for Science and Technology (KACST)2-4 July 2012

Cairo-Egypt

Agricultural Biotechnology Knowledge Network for Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing

• King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) is an

independent scientific organization administratively. KACST is

both the Saudi Arabian national science agency and its

national laboratories. The science agency function involves

science and technology policy making, data collection,

funding of external research, and services such as the patent

office.

Introduction

• KACST as an organization responsible for science and

technology in Saudi Arabia is providing its support to scientists

through funding of research proposal to support publication

information. KACST also handle research by caring out

research through its National Center and institutes of deferent

technology.

KACST Research fund and support

Services Provided by KACST

Research outputs are available digitally.

KACST using international metadata standards.

Direct Access to the world database:

• This service provides recipients with current bibliographic(Title, Author name, Pages number, ect..) information in various fields ofscience & technology.

Services Provided by KACST

Reference Services:

• Any reference inquiries by users can be addressed in person,by telephone, facsimile or email. Researchers can also behelped to obtain expedited access to scientific references.

Information sources search service:

• The Library of KACST offers a search service for users toexplore information resources for research purposes.

• KACST contributions in a scientific awareness and publishing current

knowledge provided by scientist from all over the country and share the

publishing with Springer publish through supporting journals such as

(SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, and SCOPUS Abstract & Citation) Database.

• KACST is in collaboration with Chinese academy of science has undertaken

projects on agriculture biotechnology such as:

1. Date palm genome project.

2. Date palm organelle genome project (Chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA).

3. Large scale collection and annotation of gene model from date palm.

Other Activity in biotechnology

4. Hassawi rice genome project.

5. Genomics, Transcriptomics and meta genomics research of red

palm weevil.

• Establish a data base of certified Date palm database:

1. Record genetic diversity of date palms in Saudi Arabia.

2. Develop morphologic and molecular markers for identifying cultivars.

3. Enumerate the scientific institutions and personals involved in date palm research.

Other Activity in biotechnology

ICT infrastructure, Capacity and Information systems

• The formal and informal scientific institutions relatingto Agricultural Biotechnology have Availability ofpossible means to achieve high levels of satisfactionwith:

1. Communication tools such as: (hardware, software,communication lines, flexible regulatory policies, andconstantly developing in this area).

2. Good Information systems, included (work systems,people, development and implementationmethodologies) which help to achieve the purpose

Policy and strategies

• Availability of flexible regulatory policies,

international standards are supported, and the field

of development is still continuing to update those

standards.

• Caring about the issue of intellectual property rights

within regulations and legislation adopted.

Contents and ICT applications

• There are specialized departments responsible for

the contents of the inputs (documents, research,

etc...) and the information management related to

agricultural biotechnology with the availability of

skilled staff and specialists in this field.

Information and communication services

• Availability of information and services for

communications related to agricultural

biotechnology, information technology, and content

of scientific research, and information management

research, etc. is available for researchers at KACST.

Information and communication channels

• There are several channels to disseminate the

information of agricultural biotechnology

include Web sites of the institutions and

scientific journals.