Latest news with #QRDI)Council
Qatar Tribune
23-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
QRDI council concludes third Innovation Day at the Fifth Qatar Economic Forum
Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council hosted its third consecutive Innovation Day, on the final day of the 5th Qatar Economic Forum. Innovation Day served as a dedicated platform featuring a dynamic lineup of expert panels, strategic discussions, and interactive sessions aimed at encouraging collaboration and advancing innovation. Omar Al Ansari, secretary general at QRDI Council, said: 'Innovation Day has become a staple of QRDI Council's efforts to encourage collaboration, spark dialogue, and drive forward Qatar's innovation agenda. This year's event highlighted the critical role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in shaping the future of industries and economies, not just in Qatar but globally. As we reflect on the outcomes of this year's Innovation Day, I am confident that the insights gained, and the partnerships made will play an important role in advancing our shared vision of a sustainable, innovation-driven future.' The Innovation Day began with an opening address by QRDI Council's Secretary General, Omar Al-Ansari, who reflected on last year's discussions surrounding the ethics of innovation, and how these questions remain highly relevant today; setting the tone for conversations that unfolded throughout the day. Throughout his address, he provided a broad perspective on the GCC region, emphasizing that innovation is not merely a concept but an active, operational reality. He highlighted Qatar's strong commitment to advancing innovation, driven by two key national frameworks: the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy. Whilst also outlining the role of the QRDI Council, noting that while the Council does not position itself as the sole hub of innovation, it serves as a strategic enabler and bridge, facilitating progress across sectors. Following a morning filled with engaging discussions and activities, the event transitioned into two breakout sessions: 'AI IRL: From Innovation to Application' and 'The Venture Capital Outlook'. Both sessions saw participants actively engaging in meaningful dialogue, networking opportunities, and the day's initiatives. Key topics included the future of biotech, explored in a conversation with James Flynn, Managing Partner at Deerfield, as well as AI in action, focusing on practical applications of innovation within the GCC region to drive impactful outcomes. Additionally, the future of AI in the region was explored during the session 'Qatar – Realizing AI's Potential Today', highlighting how Qatar's technology leaders are driving growth and connectivity through innovative applications. Innovation Day is a strategic initiative that reflects QRDI Council's dedication to advancing Qatar's National Vision 2030 and its National Development Strategy. By fostering collaboration, promoting advanced research, and exploring transformative technologies like AI and biotech, the event shows Qatar's commitment to building a diversified, knowledge-based economy.
Qatar Tribune
21-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
QRDI, Qatar Airways sign pact to accelerate innovation in aviation
QNA Doha Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council and Qatar Airways have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the second day of the Qatar Economic Forum, aimed at accelerating innovation in aviation, transport, and logistics, while enhancing Qatar's global competitiveness in these critical sectors. The agreement was formally signed by Secretary-General of the QRDI Council Omar Al Ansari and Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, marking an important step in fostering impactful collaboration between two of Qatar's leading entities. Commenting on the announcement, Al Ansari said, 'This MoU establishes a strong foundation for Qatar to emerge as a global hub for transformative innovation. Through this collaboration, we aim to attract world-leading partners, accelerate the deployment of high-impact technologies, and elevate national innovation clusters to global prominence, contributing meaningfully to the goals outlined in the Third National Development Strategy (NDS3).' For his part, Al Meer said, 'Qatar Airways Group's has consistently been recognised as an innovation leader, with a strong commitment for redefining the benchmarks of excellence in the aviation industry. This partnership represents a strategic cornerstone in our diverse and vibrant innovation partner ecosystem. It will accelerate our digital transformation, putting us even further ahead of our competition and making us even more synonymous with keeping innovation at the heart of whatever we do at Qatar Airways.' He added that the MoU 'creates a transformative opportunity to contribute towards elevating the nation's position on the global innovation index and firmly establishing Qatar as the preferred global hub of the Aviation Tech industry by providing fertile ground to develop, test and scale innovative next-generation solutions.' The agreement establishes a structured and phased approach to collaboration, focusing on the development of an innovation cluster around the aviation, transport, and logistics sectors. The strategic framework includes transformational innovation, challenge-driven initiatives, and the integration of artificial intelligence and digital innovation as key enablers for future projects. The partnership also aims to ensure strategic alignment with the objectives of Qatar's Third National Development Strategy (NDS3), with a focus on strengthening priority industries, fostering local innovation, and contributing to sustainable economic growth through targeted investments, funding, and innovation policies. The partnership also represents a significant milestone in both organisations' commitment to placing innovation at the core of national development and ultimately aims to elevate Qatar's position in the global innovation index. Having this partnership solidified at the Qatar Economic Forum reinforces its strategic importance and reflects a shared vision to drive Qatar's innovation-led future on a global scale.
Qatar Tribune
18-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
QRDI Councilreturns as sponsor for QEF 2025
Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council is proud to announce its continued partnership with Bloomberg Media and Media City Qatar as the Innovation Sponsor of the fifth Qatar Economic Forum (QEF) 2025, taking place from May 20–22, 2025. This year's program will center around the theme: 'The Road to 2030: Transforming the Global Economy', exploring pathways to shape a more resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking global economic landscape. For the third time, QRDI Council will host the highly anticipated 'Innovation Day' on the third day, a dedicated platform featuring a dynamic lineup of expert panels, strategic discussions, and interactive sessions. In alignment with the theme, this year's Qatar Economic Forum will spotlight strategic economic transformation through key sectors such as energy, trade, technology, and investment. The forum will bring together a diverse range of global leaders and stakeholders. As part of 'Innovation Day' at the 2025 Qatar Economic Forum, leading voices from across Qatar's research, development, and innovation (RDI) ecosystem will convene for discussions and breakout sessions centered on harnessing innovation, technology, and local talent to drive sustainable economic growth.
Zawya
27-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Qatar: QRDI Council launches Small Business Innovation Grant for early-stage ventures
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council launched the Small Business Innovation Grant (SBIG) during the second day of Web Summit Qatar 2025. The announcement was made amidst a busy schedule at the QRDI Pavilion, which hosted a variety of sessions from entities across different sectors, showcasing Qatar's innovation-driven initiatives. This new grant programme is designed to support early-stage ventures by accelerating innovation and enhancing research and development (RDI) activities within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Nada Al Olaqi, Senior Program Director-Innovation Development and Piloting Programs at QRDI Council said, 'This initiative represents an important step in enhancing the SME ecosystem in Qatar. By providing SME's and startups with the necessary resources and support', she added, 'We are working to provide an incubating environment that helps innovation flourish, helping these companies grow and contribute to the sustainable economic development of the State of Qatar, and we look forward to seeing the creative and impactful solutions that this program will offer, reinforcing Qatar's position as a leading global destination in Qatar. Innovation Sector.' The 'SME and Startup Business Development Grant' aligns with the mission of the Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Council to drive the innovation agenda and promote economic diversification. It aims to reduce the investment risks associated with the development of technology in SMEs and startups, as well as their entry into the market. The grant also seeks to enhance the readiness of new products and services developed by companies, accelerating technology commercialization. Ultimately, it aims to contribute to the diversification of the economy by generating R&D-based revenue for small and medium-sized businesses. QRDI Council is committed to intensifying R&D and innovation activities within Qatar's business sector, a key element in achieving the country's sustainable economic development goals. Through tailored funding and incentives, the QRDI Council aims to promote economic diversification and drive the commercialization of technologies in key sectors such as medical and healthcare, logistics and transportation, smart cities, and creativity, arts, and tourism. Therefore, QRDI's goal is to support small businesses that are actively conducting research, development, and innovation (RDI) with a clear path towards commercialization, helping them scale their solutions and meet global demand. Those interested in applying for this scholarship can visit the Innolight platform to learn more about the scholarship and the application schedule. © Dar Al Sharq Press, Printing and Distribution. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
CairoScene
24-02-2025
- Health
- CairoScene
Qatar-Based AI Healthtech Lillia Secures $1.7 Million Research Grant
The grant will help the healthtech startup develop AI-driven chronic disease management from Qatar. Feb 24, 2025 Qatar-based healthtech startup Lillia has received a $1.7 million grant from the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council to advance its AI-driven chronic disease management platform. The funding will go toward developing the GCC's first digital twin focused on chronic conditions, bringing predictive capabilities to real-time risk monitoring and precision treatment. Lillia was founded in 2020 by Sujit Chakrabarty, and emerged from a 2024 merger between Qatar-based Droobi Health LLC and India's Its AI-powered platform is designed for healthcare providers, insurers, corporations, and public sector entities, offering personalized interventions for diabetes and related chronic conditions. At Web Summit Qatar, Lillia revealed its vision for AI-driven healthcare, with plans to expand across MENA and Southeast Asia over the next two years. 'Diabetes and related chronic conditions are the world's biggest healthcare challenge, affecting more than 500 million people,' said Sujit Chakrabarty, founder and CEO of Lillia. 'The good news is with the right interventions, diabetes can be prevented and reversed in the early stages or effectively managed for long-term health.' With backing from Qatar Development Bank, QSTP and M Venture Partners, Lillia has already supported over 40,000 individuals across the GCC and India.
