Three USJ Instructors-Researchers Awarded the IRALEB Prize for Excellence in Industrial Research, Innovation, and Technology Transfer
The Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) is pleased to announce that three instructors-researchers from USJ are among the five selected finalists in Track 2 of the IRALEB program. IRALEB has launched an advanced capacity-building program focused on intellectual property rights and innovation management, which attracted 107 submissions. The IRALEB jury committee pre-selected 37 applications for Track 1 (acceleration phase) and 12 teams for Track 2 projects (acceleration and prototyping phase). Twelve teams from Track 1 will move to the acceleration phase, while five teams from Track 2 will receive funding and move to the prototyping phase.
The winners this year include Prof. Nicolas Louka from the Faculty of Science (FS), Dr. Jihane Rahbani, Dr. Wadih Skaff, and Dr. Gabriel Khoury from the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (FIA), as well as Mr. Fadi Abboud, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Dental Medicine (FMD). Their innovative work has been praised for its originality, scientific rigor, and transformative potential across various sectors.
Mr. Fadi Abboud has launched IOLIKIS, a startup in the medical technology field, aimed at automating healthcare with innovative solutions powered by Artificial Intelligence. These devices are designed to simplify medical procedures, making them faster and safer. By ensuring greater comfort, certain independence, and increased productivity, IOLOKIS empowers surgeons and practitioners. Visit the @iolokis website to learn more about their upcoming launch.
The second elected project involves a multidisciplinary effort, engaging students from the Departments of Chemical and Mechanical Engineering at the School of Engineering of Beirut (ESIB), along with agriculture students from the School of Mediterranean Agricultural Engineering (ESIAM). Guided by the expertise of Dr. Jihane Rahbany Mounsef, Dr. Wadih Skaff, and Dr. Gabriel Khoury, this initiative spans multiple disciplines. In a previous project funded by IRALEB, the team had successfully converted biopolymers into a slow-release fertilizer carrier and biodegradable water retention material. The current project, titled “Smart Agricultural Input for Sustainable Agriculture,” aims to assess the developed product’s efficacy on various crops and utilize hydrogel technology to develop a slow-release herbicide formulation for managing parasitic plants such as Orobanche and Cuscuta. Additionally, the project seeks to design and develop a mini robot for applying these hydrogel-based agricultural formulations. This innovation aims to streamline operations, boost productivity, and advocate for sustainable farming practices.
Measuring the density of hydrophilic products with unspecified shapes poses a significant challenge for academics and industry professionals, particularly in sectors like agri-food or with porous items such as chips, nuts, biscuits, bread, dried fruits, vegetables, etc. Prof. Nicolas Louka’s team from the Faculty of Science provides an innovative solution to this problem by enabling these measurements with exceptional ease, with an error rate not exceeding 1% and without altering the product. This machine will be developed in collaboration with equipment manufacturer Laurasev and will be brought to market by BioDiagnostic.
We take pride in the exceptional talent of our researchers and are confident that they will keep pushing the boundaries of knowledge, inspiring future generations. A heartfelt thank you to the IRALEB program selection committee for recognizing their excellence and commitment to innovation and technology transfer.
Congratulations to our researchers on this remarkable achievement. Their success is an inspiration to us all, and we wish them the best in their future endeavors.