The Innovation Track at the Annual Research Conference 2018 unveiled a new event for the Middle East, ‘The Future Is Now’, presented by Qatar Science & Technology Park and Singularity University (SU) and highlighted how technologies transform the world at a rapid pace. It also showcased some of the highly successful global startups.
Giving an overview of the significant changes that have taken place in the world over the period, David Roberts, distinguished faculty, SU, noted that disruption of a major practice leads to bigger achievements.
Speaking on the topic ‘Disruption and Global Impact’, Roberts highlighted:  “Innovation is doing same things in a better way but disruption is doing new things that make the older things obsolete.
Rapidly-accelerating technologies are reshaping industries, societies, and lives.”
Roberts pointed out how the spice trade, biggest trade in the ancient times was disrupted by the discovery of insulated warehouse. He also pointed out how many of the modern technologies have made some of the highly successful business practices obsolete.
“We are now in the same stage of exponential growth that we witnessed in the 18th century, when electricity was invented. We live in an era where Artificial Intelligence will bring great added-value to simple things like cars and phones,” noted Roberts.
Showcasing 16 global start-ups and their groundbreaking ideas and products, ‘The Future Is Now’ saw some of SU’s top speakers provide their insights on the impact that exponential technologies will have on economic prosperity, business, energy, manufacturing, and healthcare and medicine.
Under the ARC’18 Research Strategy Track, the role of R&D in building a strong, sustainable, and globally-competitive economy was at the centre of a special panel session involving six panellists from three nations. ‘Research and Innovation for Qatar’s Competitiveness’ saw Prof Low Teck Seng, CEO, National Research Foundation, Singapore, state, “We have to ask ourselves where the next major company in our nation is coming from – it must be something that we have invested in, and that dovetails with the needs of industry.
“We want to fund areas of science that are relevant to our countries, but that also have global impact, areas that link to an economic narrative but whose outcomes also help us to resolve issues. To be competitive, you need to be relevant,” he added.
The conference’s Researchers Track presented 55 of Qatar’s best research projects to a local and global audience through a series of sessions built around the four conference pillars, each focusing on a research area identified as a priority for the nation. Topics included energy and environment solutions for the oil and gas sector, energy efficiency and water security, diabetes, cybersecurity and data science, education, population and economic sustainability, and culture and communication.
Another 270 projects were showcased to delegates through the ARC’18 poster presentations display, with entities and companies involved in R&D in Qatar also exhibiting their ongoing research activities and projects.