Hayfa Al Abdulla, Innovation Director, Qatar Science and Technology Park, speaking to The Peninsula. Pic: Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
Taking the country’s technology to the next level, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), aims at commercialising research and innovation. QSTP part Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovation (QF RDI) in the past decade has developed as a hub of technology and innovation. It is home for international technology companies in Qatar, and an incubator of start-up technology businesses.
“At the beginning, we managed to attract big names in three basic pillars including energy and information technology. We managed to build the infrastructure by bringing in big international names. Along the journey, we supported tech-based entrepreneurship ventures in Qatar through incubation, funding, training, mentorship, and connection to the regional and global tech innovation ecosystem,” said Hayfa Al Abdulla, Innovation Director, QSTP.
“We have kind of become a hub of innovation recently but focusing more on the startup journey and entrepreneurs in Qatar. Operating across four overarching themes Energy, Environment, Health Sciences, and Information & Communication Technologies – QSTP’s programmes and services are designed to support Qatar’s drive toward sustainable economic development and diversification,” she told The Peninsula.
Inaugurated in March 2009 as a part of QF, the purpose of the QSTP is to spur development of Qatar’s knowledge economy. It also fosters an open ecosystem for innovation, research and entrepreneurship in the region and beyond. Over the ten years, QSTP has marked as Free Zone and Qatar’s premier hub for applied research, technology innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship. QSTP fosters a vibrant ecosystem that facilitates the development of new high-tech products and services, supports the commercialisation of market-ready technologies, and offers state-of-the-art offices and facilities specifically designed for tech-based companies.
Located in Qatar Foundation’s Education City, QSTP has access to a cluster of leading universities and research centers. Members of QSTP’s Free Zone — including international corporations, SMEs, and research institutions —are collectively committed to investing in new technology development programs, creating intellectual property, enhancing technology management skills, and developing innovative new products.
According to Al Abdulla, during a decade of QSTP Innovation programmes have seen more than 1,000 beneficiaries and alumni, 20 Qatari startups have incubated and over fifty companies at the free zone, 20 of which are foreign based. QSTP investments have helped produce and commercialise 31 innovative products introduced to the Qatari market.
“The vision of the country is really to reduce dependence from carbon-based economy to an innovation led knowledge-based economy. Opportunities are developed, and talents are built through startups - all these contribute to the national economy. We hope these startups to become bigger companies in future that contribute to the economy. We not only develop things but also sell products globally. We aim at exporting technology to the world,” said Al Abdulla. “We have created an environment that fosters innovation and collaboration by attracting and supporting tenants focused on development of tech-based products and services. So, in future we will look more in commercialising the research and investing in technology,” she added.
Arab Innovation Academy, a collaboration between QSTP and European Innovation Academy (EIA), is the first and largest entrepreneurship programme in the region, aimed at equipping entrepreneurs in Qatar, the MENA region, and the global community with the skill-set to build their start-up in just 10 days.
“The accelerated mode of experiential learning introduced participants to cutting-edge methods and tools in entrepreneurship, from team formation and idea creation to pitching to venture capitalists and angel investors. During the competition, participants develop and launched new tech ventures in a real marketplace, with genuine customer feedback. Since 2018, 323 students have participated in this programme,” said Al Abdulla.
