Doha, Qatar – Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a member of Qatar Foundation, has welcomed 13 tech startups from around the world as part of the second edition of its Global Innovation Link (GIL) program. Building on the success of its inaugural edition, which included startups from Pakistan, the program has been expanded to feature participants from countries including the US, Poland, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Malaysia, and Jordan.
The GIL program reflects QSTP’s commitment to fostering collaborations in tech research and development, bridging Qatar’s tech ecosystem with global innovators. The participating startups represent a diverse range of industries, from spacetech and edtech to fintech, tourism tech, gaming, urban planning, and manufacturing.
Throughout the two-week immersive program, startups gained access to QSTP’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and co-working spaces, while interacting with key local stakeholders. They also presented their solutions at QSTP’s AI Week 2024, which attracted over 3,000 global industry leaders, experts, and tech enthusiasts.
Dr. Jack Lau, President of QSTP, highlighted that the GIL program facilitates interaction between international entrepreneurs and the local tech community, enabling them to gauge the demand for their technologies in Qatar. It also creates opportunities for cross-border research collaborations, benefiting from Qatar Foundation’s diverse talent pool of students, researchers, and academics.
Beknazar Abdikamalov, Co-Founder of Hupo, a Singapore-based startup participating in the program, emphasized the value of the connections made in Qatar, particularly as his company aims to expand into the MENA region. “The program has opened up new opportunities for us, helping us identify potential partners and clients in the region,” Abdikamalov noted.
The GIL program is open to teams with a strong STEM background, including PhD holders, patent holders, individuals with 5+ years of experience or companies with $100k+ annual revenue. Participants are nominated by official state or national bodies.
Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) is an accelerator and incubator for tech-product development in Qatar, part of Qatar Foundation. It plays a key role in Qatar’s national diversification strategy, supporting innovations in energy, environment, health sciences, and ICT. QSTP is located in Education City and offers vital resources through its partnerships with leading research universities.
Qatar Foundation (QF), which founded QSTP, is dedicated to supporting Qatar’s journey to becoming a diversified, sustainable economy by focusing on education, research, and community development. Through QF’s initiatives, Qatar is fostering a culture of lifelong learning and contributing to solving local and global challenges.
For more information on QSTP programs, visit QSTP’s website.
