Doha, Qatar, 8 Mar, 2023: The Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council’s flagship program, Qatar Open Innovation (QOI), has announced a host of winning innovation partnership programs (seven in total) from KAHRAMAA, Ooredoo, Milaha, and Sidra Medicine.

Commenting on the awards, Haya Al-Ghanim, RDI Program Director at the QRDI Council, said: "As we announce the new round of winners of the Qatar Open Innovation program, we take pride in recognizing their well-put proposed solutions. These seven projects embody the spirit of innovation that is essential to achieving the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030. By embracing forward-thinking ideas and creative solutions, we can strengthen Qatar's economy, enhance its global competitiveness, and pave the way for a prosperous future.”

•  Partner: Kahramaa
  Challenge: “Grid Level Energy Storage Solutions for Harsh Environments”
  Awardee Name: John Cockerill
•  Partner: Ooredoo
  Challenge: “Smart Troubleshooting AR / VR Software for WiFi Applications.”
  Awardee Name: AutoVRse
•  Partner: Ooredoo
  Challenge: “Smart Tools for Audio Analytics in IoT Networks.”
  Awardee Name: Groundup.AI
•  Partner: Milaha
  Challenge: “Smart Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Workers’ Health, Safety and Security.”
  Awardee Name: Interactive Wear AG
•  Partner: Milaha
  Challenge: “Digital Port & Marine Services Platform Supported by Blockchain Technology.”
  Awardee Name: Vendia
•  Partner: Milaha
  Challenge: “Seeking Innovation for a Reliable and Close to Real-time Carbon Accounting and Reporting.”
  Awardee Name: Solupia
•  Partner: Sidra Medicine
  Challenge: “Comprehensive and fast asthma assessment device for pediatric patients.”
  Awardee Name: Sonavi labs

Qatar Open Innovation Program

Considered a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Qatar Open Innovation Program aims to support the nation’s innovation ecosystem by fostering innovation partnerships for government entities and Large Local Enterprises in Qatar. The program has continuously promoted innovation in the country and created a conducive environment for innovators and entrepreneurs to solve complex challenges through open innovation.

The program has been the primary platform for startups and innovators to showcase their products and solutions that address the nation’s most pressing challenges. It has provided a unique opportunity for innovators to collaborate with leading organizations, industry experts, and mentors to develop and scale their ideas.

Since its inception, the program has received over 350 submissions from innovators across Qatar and the globe. The challenges were focused on a wide range of areas, including health, energy, environment, transport, education, and smart cities. In its latest award announcement, the Qatar Open Innovation program received 116 proposals from more than 34 countries for the innovation calls for Hassad Food. Two of them were awarded the winning partnerships.

The program previously launched several challenge calls, including the "Future of Food," "Energy Efficiency," "Smart Transport," and "Smart City Challenge." Each call was designed to address a specific challenge and invited innovators to submit their solutions.

The successful seven projects include reshaping Qatar's marine and logistics sector–where QRDI and Milaha drive innovation by targeting specific challenges. Other projects from Milaha include the lookout for technologies to measure and report the carbon footprint of moving containers in real-time along their supply chain autonomously and accurately, as well as a project on Smart Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Workers’ Health, Safety, and Security. QRDI and Ooredoo have worked together to reshape connectivity and audio analytics – as well as improve on broadband connectivity. In other industries, KAHRAMAA works alongside QRDI to reduce Qatar’s dependency on natural gas power stations by looking at new and efficient renewable energy systems. In the medical field, QRDI and Sidra Medicine have worked together to innovate the medical field to address significant global challenges to detect and prevent acute asthma attacks.

The QOI platform addresses challenges in the five national priority areas of energy, health, resource sustainability, society, and digital technology, as outlined in the QRDI Strategy 2030, by identifying opportunities for innovation collaborations to drive economic prosperity. Future QOI calls will also meet the innovation needs of government entities. To learn more about Qatar Open Innovation, visit the QRDI Council.