Doha, Qatar, February 26, 2024: Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council, as the Strategic Partner of Web Summit Qatar, took center stage as the Exclusive Partner of the Corporate Innovation Summit Day. Held at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), this event offered a platform for a variety of engaging activities, including insightful panel discussions, interactive roundtable conferences, and in-depth 'Masterclasses'.
At the event, the CEO of Web Summit, Katherine Maher welcomed participating in Corporate Innovation Summit Day. During his opening speech, Eng. Omar A. Al-Ansari, Secretary General of the QRDI Council, underscored the critical role of corporate innovation in Qatar's future economic progress and sustainability. He emphasized that with the launch of QRDI-2030, the nation's inaugural innovation strategy, Qatar made a deliberate shift from reliance on hydrocarbons towards innovation as a fundamental driver of its future blueprint. Al-Ansari highlighted the interconnectedness of industry, government, and academia within Qatar's compact ecosystem, which uniquely positions the country for success.
Furthermore, he outlined the ambitious goals of the National Development Strategy-3 to elevate Qatar to a top 30 ranking in the global innovation index by 2030, emphasizing innovation as the cornerstone of economic clusters. Al-Ansari also highlighted recent achievements, including the launch of 46 innovation opportunities and the reception of over 1000 proposals globally, spanning areas such as health, education, sports technology, and climate sustainability.
Looking forward, he discussed plans to expand living labs and cultivate cross-sectoral technology partnerships, including collaborations with accelerators like Alchemist and initiatives such as 'Startup Qatar', to further enhance Qatar's innovation ecosystem.
In conclusion, Al-Ansari envisioned Qatar as a vibrant hub where innovation flourishes, empowering startups to reach new heights and fostering global connections with talent pools. He encouraged attendees to immerse themselves in the essence of the Corporate Innovation Summit, inviting them to discover, engage, and be inspired as they shape a bright and innovative future together.
Following the speech, Ravi Belani, CEO and Founder of Alchemist Accelerator, engaged in a discussion with Dr. Maher Hakim regarding Alchemist Doha's objectives. Alchemist Doha aims to identify global startups with promising founders, products, and early market traction, integrating them into Qatar's local RDI ecosystem. Additionally, it will provide support to eligible local tech startups in Qatar, facilitating their expansion into global markets through Alchemist's extensive network and services.
The masterclasses at the Corporate Innovation Summit (CIS) allowed event partners to position themselves as experts in their industry, meeting with all attendees to provide an in-depth learning opportunity or exploration of a chosen topic.
The theme of (CIS) revolved around, "Navigating Tomorrow: The Evolution of Mobility," which set the stage for discussions on transportation advancements. Other highlights included "Financial Frontiers" on innovative finance, "Powering the Future" on sustainable energy, "Streamlining Tomorrow" on logistics, "Investing in Innovation" on corporate funding, "Catalysts of Change" on accelerators, "AI Unleashed" on generative AI, and "Collaborative Innovation" on open R&D.
For more information on the QRDI Council’s activities and to plan your visit to Pavilion E201, please visit our dedicated web page: https://websummit.qrdi.org.qa/.