R&D is crucial in shaping ‘entrepreneurship culture’

Peter Alagos/Business Reporter

The role of Research and Development (R&D) in shaping Qatar’s entrepreneurship culture by focusing on the country’s thrust towards becoming a knowledge-based economy has been underscored by a senior official of Qatar University.

QU vice-president for Research Dr Hassan al-Derham pointed out that academia should help transfer theories of R&D technology from the lab “to an idea that can flourish and add value to society and the economy of Qatar.”

While incubation and start-ups for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are still outside the scope of QU “at this stage,” al-Derham said the university is “working very hard” with entities such as the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) to “move ideas from the development stage into commercialisation as spinoff companies.”

Al-Derham also noted that the transition to a knowledge-based economy is among the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

“This is not possible without having a complete chain or cycle of knowledge that transforms R&D and local challenges into opportunities for the people of Qatar,” said al-Derham, referring to the country’s long-term vision.

Al-Derham noted that to augment Qatar’s research activities QU has established new research centres such as the Centre of Entrepreneurship Studies under the College of Business and Economics.

“This centre was established a year ago and this includes an ambitious plan to train our students and researchers on how to take their ideas into the lab and transform them to real businesses or spinoff companies that they can sustain in the future,” he said.

The vice-president also added that QU’s College of Arts and Sciences recently launched three “first-of-its-kind” centres in Qatar: the Centre for Sustainable Development, Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Centre of Gulf Studies.

In the past two years, al-Derham said QU has also established the KINDI Lab for Computing Research and the Qatar Road Safety Studies Centre.

“We need to be the frontiers for this as a national university in order to move society into this direction. So this is a new culture not only to QU but also to Qatar and the region,” al-Derham stressed.