Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation Research and Development (QF R&D), today signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with key national technology development and promotion organisations in South Korea: the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) and INNOPOLIS Foundation.

On the sidelines of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development’s visit to South Korea, the agreements were inked at signing ceremonies held in Seoul today and ceremonies were attended by INNOPOLIS Foundation President Cha-dong Kim and KIAT President Jae Hoon Chung.

QSTP’s efforts to promote scientific and technology innovation in key sectors, including health, ICT, energy and the environment, are part of Qatar Foundation’s unique approach to research and development, which helps deliver economic diversification and home-grown technologies that benefit Qatar and the rest of the world.

The MOUs signed today are expected to increase training opportunities and knowledge transfer to technology-focused entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar from South Korea – one of Qatar’s largest trade partners and a leading global technology market.

“We are delighted to nurture such strong and strategic bonds with our distinguished and like-minded partners in South Korea,” said Hamad Al-Kuwari, Managing Director of QSTP. “Both KIAT and the INNOPOLIS Foundation share QSTP’s commitment to national technology innovation and raising awareness of the indispensable role it plays in the economic present and future of our two countries. Every international partnership we make at QSTP is aimed squarely at growing the base of knowledge available to technology- and science-focused ventures in Qatar, providing entrepreneurs and SMEs here with the best support available and making them globally competitive from inception.”

The MOU with KIAT, a public institute founded under Korea’s Industrial Technology Innovation Promotion Act, sets out a robust and collaborative agenda focused on joint industrial technology and SME development strategies and policies. It includes the establishment of a Qatar-Korea Industrial Technology Innovation Centre to be built in Qatar. It additionally provides for Korean researchers and specialists to travel to Qatar to undertake technology mentoring that helps local companies and research institutes in Qatar solve research problems; bringing research to the market in the form of commercially-viable technologies.

QSTP’s agreement with INNOPOLIS Foundation, a professional institution focused on building Korea’s creative economy and member of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP), aims to establish a cooperative framework to facilitate technology transfer and start-up support between both institutions. Specifically, QSTP and INNOPOLIS Foundation will look for opportunities to create links between the Qatari and Korean technology-based private sectors, research centres, and academia.

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