Latest news with #QRDICouncil
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.
Bloomberg
22-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
QRDI Council Eng. Omar Ali Al-Ansari QEF Opening Address
Eng. Omar Ali Al-Ansari, Secretary General, The QRDI Council provides the opening address for day 3 of the 2025 Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg. (Source: Bloomberg)
Qatar Tribune
20-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
QRDI Council and Business Finland ink MoU to bolster RDI collaboration
Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council and Innovaatiorahoituskeskus Business Finland, the Finnish Innovation Funding Agency, have formalized their commitment to collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the opening day of the 5th Qatar Economic Forum 2025. This strategic partnership is designed to foster the exchange of ideas, information, skills, and expertise, while supporting joint initiatives across all areas of research, development, and innovation (RDI). Jarno Syrjälä, Under-Secretary of State for International Trade at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and Omar Al Ansari, Secretary General of QRDI Council, represented their respective organizations during the signing ceremony, marking a significant step toward a more sustainable innovative-driven future. Jarno Syrjälä, Under-Secretary of State for International Trade at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland said: 'With the signing of this MoU, we are taking concrete steps to accelerate research, development, and innovation cooperation between our countries. This partnership underscores our commitment to working together to strengthen and promote exchange of ideas, information, skills benefiting both of our behalf of Innovaatiorahoituskeskus Business Finland, Finland looks forward to the fruitful exchange of knowledge and expertise that this partnership will undoubtedly foster.' Omar Al Ansari, Secretary General of QRDI Council mentioned: 'We at QRDI Council look forward to the outcomes of this collaboration. The partnership between QRDI Council and Innovaatiorahoituskeskus Business Finland will create new opportunities, drive innovative solutions, and contribute to a more sustainable future in alignment with our national vision. With innovation being at the heart of the third national strategy, I am confident that we will strengthen the RDI ecosystem and achieve impactful results together.' This strategic partnership outlines key areas of collaboration, including cross-promotion of innovation programs and events, support for matchmaking efforts connecting Qatari and Finnish companies seeking expansion and collaboration on industrial research or co-innovation projects, and the exchange of knowledge in key areas. By leveraging the strengths of Qatar's growing RDI ecosystem and Finland's globally recognised expertise in innovation and sustainability, this collaboration aims to unlock new opportunities for knowledge transfer, investment, and economic diversification. Day 1 of the Qatar Economic Forum featured an exclusive opening ceremony, during which a keynote address was given and set the tone for the day's discussions. The first day was marked by a series of engaging panel discussions.
Qatar Tribune
13-05-2025
- Science
- Qatar Tribune
QRDI Council, SNSF sign agreement for collaboration
Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance scientific collaboration and innovation between Qatar and Switzerland. The signing ceremony, which took place in Doha, was attended by a distinguished Swiss delegation led by Martina Hirayama, state secretary for education, research and innovation of the Swiss Confederation. The MoU establishes a framework for future cooperation across various research domains, opening avenues for joint research initiatives between Qatari and Swiss scientists. Eng Omar Al Ansari, secretary general at QRDI Council, said, 'This partnership with the Swiss National Science Foundation represents a strategic milestone in advancing QRDI Council's mission to drive impactful research, development and innovation. By enabling collaboration, knowledge exchange, and talent mobility, it supports the growth of innovation capacity and fosters enduring links between our scientific communities—contributing to both national progress and global engagement.' Torsten Schwede, president of the SNSF Research Council, said: 'This MoU will enable us to kick-start cooperation between the SNSF and QRDI, to the benefit of both our research communities. The first step will be to encourage the mobility of our researchers and could lead to the establishment of a joint research program in areas of strategic importance to both countries. We want the processes to be as simple as possible and look forward to co-creating these partnerships with our QRDI colleagues.' The collaboration will be actively advanced through four key areas of cooperation designed to encourage research engagement and promote meaningful scientific exchange between Qatar and Switzerland. A coordinated communications campaign will raise awareness across both communities, while a jointly hosted webinar will introduce the Scientific Exchanges instrument to researchers in both countries. As a pilot initiative, the collaboration will be evaluated based on initial interest and outcomes, guiding future phases of development. To further support engagement, QRDI Council supported by the Leading House MENA, will facilitate networking opportunities to help researchers identify suitable collaborators, with the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) amplifying these efforts through its own communication channels.
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. (
