Qatar Development Bank, through its Qatar Business Incubator Centre (QBIC), has forged a strategic alliance with Volkswagen Middle East and its local representative, Q-Auto, to launch a new incubation programme tailored for developing innovative mobility solutions.
The programme, which is part of efforts to accelerate the growth of Qatar’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and keep pace with aspiring entrepreneurs across various industries, was recently unveiled as QDB prepares to kick start the 17th edition of QIBC’s Lean Startup Programme, and the fifth edition of its Lean Coach Programme.
QDB’s partnership with Volkswagen will enable QBIC to advance several pivotal objectives, mainly in terms of providing specialised guidance and support for startups exploring cutting-edge mobility solutions, smart infrastructure, and quality management systems. The programme will also boost entrepreneurs’ leadership skills through an array of initiatives from the partnership, which was ratified on the sidelines of QBIC’s latest Hackathon.
The Hackathon, centred on digital transformation and mobility solutions, touched on groundbreaking technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML), further addressing avant-garde transportation solutions and challenges. The event brought together local entrepreneurs and startups who showcased their innovative products and services across a number of industries.
Dr Hamad Salem Mejegheer, executive director of QDB’s Advisory and Incubation Services, stressed the importance of offering specialised incubation programmes.
“This new specialised programme in mobility solutions complements QDB’s offerings across the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Through our partnership with Volkswagen and Q-Auto, we look forward to providing an incubation environment that supports innovative projects in the field of mobility solutions and enables entrepreneurs to leverage Volkswagen’s expertise to accelerate their growth and advance QDB’s mission to bolster economic diversification and enhance the private sector’s contribution to the local economy.”
Ahmed Shariefi, managing director of Q-Auto, said: “We are delighted to announce our strategic partnership with QDB, which is an important milestone in Q-Auto’s commitment to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in Qatar's rapidly growing transport sector.”
The mobility incubator’s launch followed the signing of a recent partnership agreement between Mejegheer and Shariefi. The new programme will fall under the umbrella of QBIC, one of the largest mixed-use incubators in the region to offer seed funding, incubation programmes and services that enable startups and scale-ups to grow.
QBIC also invests in the development of businesses by offering coaching and mentorship in the entrepreneurship field and by providing access to industrial development centres, such as the Model Factory, the Ooredoo Digital Incubator, and the Digital Fab Lab.