QRDI Secretary-General: Innovation Is Key Focus of 3rd National Development Strategy

Doha: Secretary-General of Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI) Eng. Omar Al Ansari stressed the status of innovation and technological development as a fundamental focus of the country's 3rd National Development Strategy (NDS3) (2024-2030) to achieve the desired economic prosperity, emphasizing QRDI's commitment to responsible innovation that makes the world a better place. In his speech during a public session on the third and final day of the 4th Qatar Economic Forum, Eng. Al Ansari said that Qatar's NDS3 is based on unleashing the potential of an economy based on human capital that benefits from research and development, technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence. He pointed out that the QRDI has been entrusted with the noble mission of harnessing global technological progress and supporting local innovation to enhance Qatar's resilience and economic prosperity. He noted the goals that the NDS3 seeks to achieve and reach a sustainable economic model, including doubling total spending on research and development to 1.6 percent as a percentage of GDP, of which the private sector contributes 60 percent, and for the State of Qatar to become among the top 30 countries in the Global Innovation Index. He added that as QRDI works to achieve these goals, it will strive to focus the national innovation activities on science and technology that produce responsible innovations that benefit all of humanity, especially societies that have not received their fair share of the economic fruits of previous innovations or have suffered the negative consequences of those innovations. The Secretary-General of QRDI also stressed that the council's commitment to achieving these goals goes beyond mere technological achievements, and its call for responsible innovation and achieving real, comprehensive, and equitable progress that supports innovation for all, not just the few. He pointed out that the council's scientists, technologists, and innovators are proactively studying the broader impacts of thei r work on society and the environment while thinking about how their innovations will be used, who will be affected, and what possible consequences may arise. He addressed the role of technological innovations in developing societies and achieving achievements that contribute to the progress of humanity in various fields, including medical fields, as well as progress in information and communications technologies that have succeeded in building bridges between cultures and providing new opportunities for learning, knowledge exchange, and global business. Eng. Omar Al Ansari pointed out the challenges of rapid technological development, saying in this context that while we all enjoy living in a world that is certainly better than the world in which our ancestors lived, thanks to technological innovation, many of these same innovations have led to negative results. He also pointed out the economic challenges facing young people in many countries of the world, as proven by relevant studies and research. He co nsidered that despite the expected amazing acceleration of technological innovations in the future, many people in Western societies who can be said to be the main beneficiaries of these innovations are very pessimistic about the future. He highlighted the existence of inequality and the existence of a technological gap between the countries of the North and the South, wondering about the possibility of launching a global initiative that guarantees all countries, especially those in the Global South, access to advanced technologies, in addition to playing a pivotal role in shaping the innovation agenda and thus democratizing the benefits of technological advancement. He urged all partners from government agencies, companies, and like-minded businesspersons to work together to ensure the continuity of the trend that has been ongoing since the beginning of the industrial revolution, which is to strive to make the world better than we found it. Source: Qatar News Agency