S10 Advertiser retains sole responsibility for contentADVERTISEMENT FEATUREInnovation cannot only inspire
and transform; it can unite.
And its ability to bring together
people from di erent countries
and diverse backgrounds,
but with a collective eye on
helping to shape the future,
has shone through the Arab
Innovation Academy (AIA) — a
groundbreaking showcase of
the extent of pan-Arab tech-
innovation talent.
Organized by the Qatar
Science & Technology Park
(QSTP) — part of Qatar
Foundation Research,
Development and Innovation
— in collaboration with the
European Innovation Academy
(EIA), AIA is the largest
entrepreneurship boot-camp of
its kind in the region. With its
third edition now on the horizon
— it will be held in January
2020, the program has so far
challenged more than 300
aspiring tech entrepreneursfrom universities across the
Arab world not just to turn their
idea into a viable startup, but
to do it in just 10 days, and in
teams whose members had
never worked together before.
Using a unique, accelerated
mode of experiential learning
that provides authentic insight
into what it takes to launch a
new tech venture, the program
places teams into a high-octane
innovation environment: a real
marketplace, with genuine
customer feedback and the
challenges that innovators
around the world face every
day. And it’s also showing that,
when it comes to innovation,
there are no boundaries
— in both a creative and a
geographical sense.
“The fi rst two editions of
the Arab Innovation Academy
have proved to be outstanding
successes, as demonstrated by
the high level of participationfrom 30 countries from across
the region,” says Yosouf
Abdulrahman Saleh, Executive
Director, QSTP.
“The upcoming edition of
the program will provide a new
batch of budding entrepreneurs
with the opportunity to
gain invaluable insights
and guidance from leading
Silicon Valley mentors and
experts from the world’s top
corporations, who will help the
aspiring participants launch
their startups and market their
tech products in Qatar and
beyond.”
The fi rst and second editions
of the two-week startup boot-
camp featured 127 and 196
entrepreneurs, respectively,
from Qatar and abroad, across
a total of 34 teams. And one
of the trends that emerged in
the 2019 edition was greater
participation in the program
from young Arab women.
Meanwhile, the program has
also broadened its reach beyond
the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region. In 2019,
the future “techpreneurs” who
took part included innovators
from Russia and India, with
whom Qatar has shared its two
most recent Years of Culture. In
2020, this approach — blending
the exchange of tech ideas
with the exchange of cultural
stories and experiences — will
continue, as AIA welcomes
participants from France.Several participants have
gone on to launch successful
startups after completing the
program, which aims to equip
participants with the necessary
skills and knowledge to pursue
technology development and
make a positive impact in the
world through innovation.
The AIA’s greatest impact
is the di erent mindset it has
instilled in its participants
— a mindset of creative
collaboration, built on diversity
and the opportunity to speak
freely about issues. “Before
the AIA, I had many ideas that
needed support and guidance,
but they had not found the
light of the day,” says Lebanese
student Dina Al Hajjar, an
alumna of AIA 2018.
“And when I arrived at Qatar
Foundation to take part in the
program, I felt like I was in the
right place — a place where
innovation is born and where
supporting talented young
people is a priority.”
By making the idea of
“innovation” so accessible,
AIA has demystifi ed the aura
around it, allowing participants
to realize that there is no secret
to the success of companies
like Google or Uber. There
are simply processes that, if
followed in the right way, mean
that these innovators can
succeed as well.
“The key is to embrace
the notion that knowledge is10 days. One challenge. Through the Arab Innovation Academy —
organized by Qatar Science & Technology Park and the European
Innovation Academy — a wave of exciting new startups, and a new
global tech-entrepreneurship network, is emerging.TAKING INNOVATION
TO THE EXTREME
Several participants have gone to launch successful startups.Untitled-1355 1 28/10/2019 18:04