File photo of a researcher used for representation only.
Doha: More researchers are joining the field of Research and Development (R&D) as Qatar witnessed 55.4 percent rise in number of R&D personnel between 2012 to 2015.
The number of R&D personnel in the country jumped from 3,038 in 2012 to 4,720 in 2015 stated the second edition of the Research & Development Survey of Qatar released yesterday.
The Gross Domestic Expenditure on Research & Development (GERD) in Qatar reached QR3.06bn in 2015 which amounted to 0.51 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Key findings from the second edition of the survey were announced yesterday at a workshop jointly hosted by Qatar Foundation Research and Development (QF R&D) and the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) at Qatar National Convention Centre.
Addressing the workshop, Mohammed Al Muhannadi, Director of Population and Social Statistics Department at MDPS said that the higher education sector in Qatar received 69.8 percent of GERD in 2015. The proportion of Qataris among Qatar’s total R&D personnel increased to 19.6 percent in 2015 against the 13 percent in 2012.
Qatar’s domestic expenditure on research and development is reflected in its good position within the Global Competitiveness Index and Global Innovation Index, he added.
According to the survey, Qataris represented the highest increase of researchers by nationality at sectoral level, with this increase being 23.8 percent in the government sector.
Nada Al Olaqi, Business Planning and Performance Manager, QF R&D said that national resources covered R&D funding in Qatar by 98.14 percent while foreign funding declined in 2015. The percentage of researchers among total R&D personnel rose to 60 percent in 2015, up from 57 percent in 2012.
She said that higher education agencies which participated in this survey produced 1,980 research products, including articles (88.5 percent), and policy briefs, books, and customer reports (11.5 percent).
The number of agencies participating in the R&D Survey of Qatar 2015 increased from the previous survey in 2012, leading to more comprehensive data being provided and an increase in quality.
Almost 100 Qatari entities and agencies involved in research within the government, higher education, and business sectors have participated in the survey. It provides vital information and insight about Qatar’s research and development inputs, including levels of investment and human capacity.
The R&D Survey of Qatar 2015 was implemented through collaboration between the MDPS and QF R&D, which is the custodian of the Qatar National Research Strategy. The R&D Survey of Qatar 2015 is the second of its kind, after the previous edition collated in 2012. Research agencies falling within three sectors — business, government sector, and higher education — participated in this survey.
