• Qatar needs national innovation talent scorecard: Startup consultant report

A National Innovation Talent Scorecard and a centralised internship placement scheme for innovation firms and research centres are among the suggestions made to close the “growing” innovation talent “gap” in Qatar, according to a research report.

Qatar stands at a "pivotal inflection" point as it has invested deeply in infrastructure, policy, and institutional programmes to prepare for a knowledge-based economy; but strategically aligned innovation talent pipeline remains incomplete, said an article prepared by Rayane Fodil, an innovation strategist and a startup consultant.

Analysing more than 20 national datasets and institutional sources to forecast Qatar’s innovation talent supply and demand between 2025 and 2030; she said "Qatar faces a growing innovation talent gap, one that could reach 1,200 missing hires per year by 2030 if current trends continue."

Highlighting that the scale of Qatar's innovation talent challenge becomes clear when examining supply and demand projections through 2030; the report said under current trends, Qatar's universities will produce approximately 1,800 innovation-aligned graduates annually by 2030, while sectoral demand will reach 3,000 positions per year.

"This creates a growing talent shortage that could reach 1,200 missing hires annually by 2030 without intervention," it added.

Through targeted policy interventions, including curriculum realignment, expanded internship programmes, and retention mechanisms for non-Qatari graduates, Qatar can completely close the talent gap by 2030, it said, adding "the critical intervention window is 2025-28, requiring immediate coordinated action across education and employment policy."

Stressing that the shortfall is not merely a workforce issue; she said it is a "strategic bottleneck" that directly affects the national diversification goals, the realisation of Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council's 2030 priorities, and the broader ambition to localise critical capabilities across sectors.

Under an ambitious but realistic scenario, where targeted talent initiatives are scaled, internships in innovation firms become the norm, and universities align outputs with national economic needs.

"Qatar could fully close this gap by 2028 and become a net producer of innovation talent by 2030," the report said, finding that Qatari youth aged 18–24 will grow modestly, but participation in high-demand innovation fields remains low.

Innovation-aligned graduates (both Qatari and non-Qatari) currently number around 1,500 per year, short of the 2,300–3,000 needed annually by 2025–2030, it said.

Highlighting that national internship and placement schemes remain limited in scope, with fewer than 500 students annually gaining exposure to real innovation work; it said without intervention, talent retention; particularly among high-performing non-Qataris will continue to lag due to unclear career pathways post-graduation.

Outlining three strategic levers Qatar must activate by 2027; it suggested aligning education funding models with innovation-aligned output KPIs (key performance indicators).

The report recommended establishing a centralised national internship placement scheme for innovation firms and research centres and launching a National Innovation Talent Scorecard to unify university, government, and private sector efforts.

"With aligned, measurable, and sustained action across education, labour, and innovation policy, Qatar can become a global benchmark for smart, inclusive innovation talent strategy," the research report said.

Current graduation patterns in engineering, ICT, and entrepreneurship fall "significantly" short of projected demand; it said, adding under an ambitious scenario, innovation-aligned graduate output could increase 165% by 2030, driven primarily by expanded enrolment in engineering, ICT, and design programmes.