"The visit of innovation and entrepreneurship professor Niclas Adler specifically aims to discuss plans of establishing the Qatar - Sweden Growth Tech Fund and Health Fund," Swedish ambassador Ewa Polano said.
“This is part of our continued efforts to unlock the great potential steadily growing between Qatar and Sweden,” the envoy explained.
Polano noted that the two countries share a strong and focused interest on the ongoing paradigm shift in Qatar, from an oil-and gas-based economy into a diversified and knowledge-based society.
Dr Adler, chairman of the Accelerated Innovation Group (AIG) based in Stockholm, met with the Qatar Central Bank Governor HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani, Qatar Stock Exchange CEO Rashid bin Ali al-Mansoori, and Qatar Development Bank CEO Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa.
Besides his visit to the Qatar Science and Technology Park, the professor also met with officials of Manateq, Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar Financial Centre, Qatar National Research Fund, as well as Qatari private sector representatives, which aims” to find interesting co-investment opportunities benefitting both Qatar and Sweden.”
Polano said Sheikh Abdullah’s visit to Sweden, together with al-Khalifa, is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2017.
A roundtable discussion will be arranged on entrepreneurship development, she added. The visit will also focus on the Stockholm Startup region, now considered as the second best performing region in the world for startups, after Silicon Valley.
“We all see that it is paramount for Qatar now, with the current challenges around the oil and gas prices, to continue forward with their visions presented in the Qatar National Vision 2030,” said Polano, citing Adler’s visit was timely.
The envoy believes that Sweden might serve as a role model for Qatar in some areas since it is highly ranked in international indexes in areas such as innovation, entrepreneurship, creative economy, and research and development.
She said Sweden was one of the poorest countries in Europe hundred years ago but now has a diversified economy and a knowledge-based society “where the innovative and engineering spirits have been crucial on our way towards our objectives.”
Part of his two-day visit, Adler took part in a working dinner with World Innovation Summit for Health chief executive Egbert Schillings and Curator of the Global Shapers Community in Qatar HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.
Adler was invited to be a speaker at WISH in Doha from November 29 to 30, together with researchers from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
A Swedish national with an impressive biography in the field of innovation, Adler is also the founder of Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship. He established a similar school of entrepreneurship at Cambridge University in the UK.
From left: QDB CEO Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa, professor Dr Niclas Adler, Qatar Central Bank Governor HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani, ambassador Ewa Polano, deputy head of mission Gustaf Hannerz, and a representative from QCB after a meeting. PICTURE: Swedish embassy.
A renowned Swedish professor has met with officials from Qatar’s financial and education sectors in a bid to create strategic partnerships between the two countries.
