Belgium’s imec, a world leader in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, is looking to establish a presence in Qatar as part of its global expansion — a move expected to accelerate the nation’s drive to build a high-tech, AI-powered innovation ecosystem. imec president and CEO Luc Van den hove told Gulf Times in an exclusive interview that Qatar’s fast-rising digital landscape and investment in advanced technology make it an ideal partner for cutting-edge R&D collaboration in semiconductors, health tech, and communications. These trends, according to him, create exciting opportunities for collaboration and innovation, strongly aligned with Imec’s mission to drive progress in scalable compute solutions for AI and semiconductor-based innovations in application domains such as healthcare, communications and energy. The company would focus on R&D (research and development) in advanced compute architecture for applications as high-performance computing, communications systems, automotive and AI (artificial intelligence); AI-enabled ASIC design (bringing IC-Link’s chip design expertise to the region), and chip-based innovation in application domains like health, automotive and AI. "We believe that opening a regional R&D site will help us make a meaningful contribution to that transformation," he said, adding expanding into new regions strengthens Imec’s innovation pipeline, diversifies partnerships, and accelerates technology maturity in real-world environments. imec was invited by Invest Qatar and the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council to explore establishing a presence in the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP). "This invitation reflects confidence in Imec’s expertise and offers a chance to collaborate on building a semiconductor ecosystem, fully in line with our internationalisation strategy," he said. The timing reflects several converging factors as strong regional focus on AI, and digitalisation, the Gulf countries' ambitions in advanced semiconductor development, and a unique chance to scale Imec’s impact through global collaboration and local capacity building. "When Imec expands to new regions, it brings significant added value by connecting local ecosystems to its global network of partners, advanced R&D infrastructure, and deep expertise in semiconductor innovation," he said. Aligned with Qatar’s strengths and ambitions, its presence in Qatar will focus on innovation in semiconductor technologies and fields like AI, health, automotive, energy infrastructure, to accelerate regional innovation, supporting workforce development through collaborations with universities and offering training programmes, and boosts local start-up landscapes. "Therefore, our presence and activities are expected to support job creation, attract investment, and potentially stimulate new ventures," Luc Van den hove said.imec is fully supportive of Qatar’s AI ambitions and will contribute to its efforts as Qatar lays the foundation for its emerging AI and compute focus, according to him. Although Imec is not committing financial investments in the initiative, instead, its involvement is "strategic", advancing innovation through knowhow in advanced semiconductor technologies, and supporting the development of a regional high-tech ecosystem through workforce development, university collaborations and by connecting Qatar’s ecosystem to its vast network. "This initiative is fully aligned with Imec’s internationalisation strategy and global way of working. It reinforces Imec’s role as a leading R&D hub, creating opportunities for collaboration, talent development, and knowledge exchange in a region investing heavily in digital transformation," he said. imec Qatar will be an integrated part of its global strategy and activities, closely connected to our state-of-the-art research facilities at the headquarters in Belgium. "The focus of Imec Qatar will be on chip design and compute architectures, leveraging Imec’s process technology and system knowhow," he said. Asked how hyperscalers, which are fast making inroads into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Qatar, would be beneficial for Imec Qatar; he said they (hyperscalers) are part of its ecosystem and "we intend to further expand our collaboration towards them to better address advanced technology challenges to further drive AI-innovation." Highlighting that Imec’s role is to lead the synchronisation of these innovation efforts; he said "their presence and ours in the GCC will strengthen and accelerate the region’s innovation ecosystem, positioning Qatar as a regional leader in high-tech R&D and semiconductor innovation."Regarding nurturing of semiconductor talent through development programmes; Luc Van den hove said Imec will nurture semiconductor talent through development programmes, internships, and PhD initiatives in collaboration with universities, companies, and startups, across various industries. "These efforts contribute to establishing a robust semiconductor talent pipeline in the region," he added.
