Entrepreneurs, start-ups hone skills in innovation management

Entrepreneurs, start-ups and fledgling businesses participated in a workshop to hone the skills they need to launch a successful company. Hosted by local start-up incubator experts Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation Research and Development, the workshop focused on “innovation management” and was held in collaboration with Qatar Development Bank (QDB) at QSTP. The “innovation management” training programme is a collaboration between QSTP and QDB that aims to introduce entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to the combined services, support, facilities and expertise provided by both organisations, in addition to offering assistance and skills training that will help these fledgling businesses grow and compete successfully in the local and regional market.Hamad al-Kuwari, managing director, QSTP, said: “In addition to our state-of-the-art infrastructure, QSTP offers a diverse portfolio of services to both local and regional markets to shore up our mission as facilitators of applied research, technology innovation and incubation.“While the Accelerator and Start-Up Incubator cater to the needs of potential entrepreneurs in terms of technology-related idea development, the Proof of Concept Fund is tailored to help existing Qatari institutions who require financial support with an innovative technology project that addresses a local or regional market gap.“The ‘Innovation’ workshop we offered in collaboration with QDB was an excellent opportunity for us to promote the fund further among local SMEs. It was also a critical attempt to reach out to existing SMEs and demonstrate how innovative thinking could significantly transform their traditional business models.”Abdulaziz Nasser al-Khalifa, CEO, QDB, said: “Qatar Development Bank is the main supporter in the development of SMEs and the private sector, in addition to assisting and supporting entrepreneurs and providing all they need to create a supportive environment for entrepreneurship.“The ‘Innovation Management’ training aims to educate the owners of start-up companies on the concept of innovation and its importance in raising the performance of the company and increase commercial success in the domestic market and eventually across the region. “We believe that through initiatives like this, we will see a new generation of passionate, successful and innovative new start-ups leading the way for a new stream of commerce in Qatar and the GCC.”QSTP focuses on supporting innovation and entrepreneurship through four key themes: energy, environment, health sciences and information and communication technologies.