QRDI Council And Enterprise Singapore Sign MoU To Boost Innovation, Sustainability, And Tech.

Doha, June 21 (QNA) - The Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Council (QRDI) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) have joined a strategic partnership to stimulate cross-border collaboration and pioneering open innovation, thereby supercharging Qatar's transition towards becoming an innovation and knowledge-based economy. Central to this accord is a commitment to ignite, facilitate, and promote joint innovation programs, events, and initiatives that span a breadth of sectors that serve the mutual interests of Qatari and Singaporean enterprises. This robust alliance not only strengthens the bilateral ties but also fuels innovation-driven growth within the ecosystems of both nations. This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provides a solid framework for the QRDI Council and EnterpriseSG, paving the way for synergistic collaboration in pursuing shared objectives through groundbreaking initiatives. The first facet of this collaboration involves creating product innovation and commercialization opportunities. This goal will be achieved by offering unique challenge statements and facilitating proof-of-concept or piloting opportunities realized through their respective open innovation or co-innovation programs, leveraging platforms such as the QRDI Portal and EnterpriseSG's Open Innovation Network. The partnership will foster a culture of knowledge exchange and expertise sharing to bolster the public sector in both nations, through curated events and workshops. Secretary General of the Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council Eng. Omar A. Al Ansari articulated his eagerness for this collaboration, commenting, "We establish this partnership with Enterprise Singapore to support the growth of our respective innovation ecosystems. We will focus on areas of common interest, such as Sustainability, MedTech, and Food tech, to generate exciting opportunities in these domains for innovative businesses in Qatar and Singapore." "We will also leverage our respective Open Innovation Platforms to publish these opportunities and to support product development, testing, commercialization, and scaling of innovative solutions. The QRDI Council is committed to advancing Qatar's transition towards an innovation and knowledge-based economy, and this partnership with Singapore, which has a powerful global innovation presence, will support our efforts to achieve these goals." Al Ansari added. For his part, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Global Markets) of EnterpriseSG Tan Soon Kim conveyed his perspective, remarking, "Qatar's economy has experienced rapid growth in recent years. The country has been actively diversifying its economy by investing heavily in infrastructure and digital transformation. Innovation will be a key focus as the government looks to grow other sectors, such as tourism, trade, logistics, and healthcare, and move towards a knowledge-based economy. "Our Memorandum of Understanding with the Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council will drive collaboration between Singapore and Qatari companies to develop products and solutions which will contribute to Qatar’s sustainable development while enabling our companies to commercialize and scale their offerings. The complementary key areas we intend to work on include energy, urban solutions, MedTech, and food tech." Kim added. Serving as pillars of this partnership, the QRDI Council, bearing a national mandate, shoulders developing and implementing the QRDI 2030 Strategy and marshals research and innovation funding to fortify Qatar's burgeoning innovation ecosystem. Concurrently, EnterpriseSG, a statutory board under Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry, is responsible for championing enterprise development in Singapore, working with companies to build capabilities, innovate and internationalize. (QNA)