Staff Reporter
OVER the next three days, senior executives of Switzerland’s leading industrial, life sciences and health companies will be briefed on the merits of establishing operations at the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), it was announced in a statement yesterday.
Organised by the Economic Development of the Department of Public Economy of the Canton of Zurich, the forum explains the benefits offered to Swiss companies that invest in technology-based activities in Qatar.
The ties between Switzerland and Qatar has strengthened in recent months with a visit of Swiss government and education officials to Doha last December, and again this April when leaders of several Qatar Foundation institutes travelled to Zurich for an address to the Global Medical Forum.
“With this week’s seminars the Swiss-Qatar relationship gains a new facet: corporate technology investment,” the statement said.
“Switzerland is renowned worldwide for its cutting-edge corporate sector, and for those firms to expand globally from a small home market,” QSTP project director and leader of Qatar’s delegation Dr Eulian Roberts, said.
This closely parallels the way forward for Qatar’s knowledge economy, he observed while stating QSTP is pleased to have the opportunity to showcase what it can offer Swiss technology companies.
Dr Roberts also pointed out that the rapid growth of Qatar’s economy, coupled with tangible support offered by QSTP, should attract Swiss technology companies to expand into the Middle East.
Situated in a free trade zone at Qatar’s Education City, QSTP is currently operational and its new buildings will open mid 2006.
The science park has already attracted blue chip companies such as EADS, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Shell and Total.
Such tenants enjoy access to the region’s brightest students and faculty at co-located campuses of Carnegie Mellon University, Texas A&M University, Weill Cornell Medical College and a to-be-set-up $900mn teaching and research hospital.
They also benefit from the fact that QSTP’s facilities and services are designed from the ground up for technology development, and are provided on a non-profit basis.
“Qatar is a stable country and one of the fastest growing economies in the world - we believe that QSTP represents an ideal environment for Swiss technology companies in the Middle East,” Department of Public Economy of the Canton of Zurich’s Economic Development and European Affairs head Dr Stephan Kux said.
“What we see as being unique about QSTP in the region is its tangible support for research and commercialisation activities, not only for large Swiss corporations but also small companies and even new-start businesses,” he added.
During its three days in Zurich, QSTP is giving presentations at the Technopark Zurich, Biotech Center Schlieren and Technopark Winterthur.
Attending the seminars will be invited companies and research institutes from Zurich and across Switzerland, spanning sectors such as health, life sciences, food, electronics and industrial sectors. |
