Doha, Qatar: As part of its ‘Meet the Expert’ series, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a member of Qatar Foundation, recently hosted a workshop to discuss the role of locally-designed innovative solutions, using Artificial Intelligence (AI), in helping realize Qatar’s national strategies and ambitions.

Featuring experts from QSTP’s member company, Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC), the session shed light on cutting edge technologies and products created by QMIC to advance intelligent mobility and enable smart spaces in Qatar.

During the session, Dr. Adnan Abu-Dayya, CEO and Executive Director of QMIC, explained how the leading national innovations center has been using its competencies in Internet of Things (IoT), AI, Embedded Sensing, and Location Intelligence to tailor-make a range of digital platforms and smart products in order to support national priorities across areas such as transport and infrastructure, events and tourism, energy and environment, and defense and security. For example, during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM last year, the Wain Mobile Application allowed over 150,000 users to enjoy smart navigation, real-time traffic information, dynamic maps, updates on parking information, and speed camera alerts.

Further explaining QMIC technologies, Dr. Fethi Filali, Director of Technology & Research, QMIC, drew attention to the locally-built, AI-driven traffic services and mobility analytics platform, Masrak, that has aided key stakeholders to enhance the performance, reliability, and safety of Qatar’s road network. Through its robust data collection network that deploys hundreds of road sensors and connects thousands of devices, the platform generates reports on traffic movement, trends and behavior. Dr. Filali noted that the availability of these key traffic insights has tremendously helped stakeholders ensure traffic safety and management in line with national strategies.

Describing another QMIC-built platform, Falcon-I, Dr. Hamid Menouar, Senior Research & Development Expert and Product Manager, QMIC, stressed its use of AI to create smart applications such as smart intersections, smart roads, digital parking, vehicle counting, crowd monitoring, among others. These functions empower operators and decision-makers with real-time alerts and prompt automated actions to tackle issues  related to transport and road safety operations.

Commenting on the importance of the session, Ahmed Al-Said, Park & Freezone Management Director, QSTP, said: “In line with our commitment to boost Qatar’s innovation and technology development ecosystem, it gives us great pleasure to provide a platform for local technology trailblazers such as QMIC to demonstrate the many ways in which they are working to harness the power of artificial intelligence to craft advanced solutions to address national concerns. Innovation is a key driver for sustainable development and we hope that sessions like these encourage and inspire local tech leaders to continually remain at the forefront of technological discovery and creativity to develop impactful technologies.”

Dr. Abu-Dayya commented: “As one of the first national centers to partner with QSTP back in 2009, we were delighted to join hands with QSTP to deliver this workshop that touched upon significant emerging technologies related to IoT and artificial intelligence and showed how the entities at QSTP reached a level of maturity such that significant solutions and services are readily available to serve national partners and stakeholders and support mega project in Qatar.”

QSTP’s ‘Meet the Expert’ series convenes policymakers, experts, researchers, and academics from various sectors to encourage knowledge exchange on strategic topics covering technology, innovation, EdTech, climate change and sustainability. To learn more about the series, or to register for the upcoming sessions, please visit: https://qstp.org.qa/qstp-expert-series   

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Qatar Science & Technology Park

Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation, is a Free Zone, accelerator and incubator for tech-product development in Qatar. The park fosters an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Qatar that works to accelerate commercialization of market-ready technologies to realize Qatar’s national diversification drive.

QSTP’s focus ranges across four overarching themes, comprising Energy, Environment, Health Sciences and Information & Communication Technologies (ICT), in line with the Qatar National Research Strategy announced in 2012.

Located in Qatar Foundation's Education City, QSTP has access to the vital resources of a cluster of leading research universities. Members of QSTP’s Free Zone include Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), international corporations and research institutions. They are collectively committed to investing in new technology development programs, creating intellectual property, enhancing technology management skills and developing innovative new products.

QSTP supports QF’s economic and human development objectives for Qatar and is increasingly recognized as an international hub for applied research, innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship.

For more information, please visit the QSTP website at www.qstp.org.qa  

Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development.

QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.

QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.

For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa 
To stay up to date on our social media activities, follow our accounts on: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
For any media inquiries, please contact: pressoffice@qf.org.qa

About QMIC:

The Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) is the first independent innovations center in the region with a focus on using R&D to develop and deploy Intelligent Mobility and Smart Cities platforms and technologies. QMIC’s main goal is to use locally engineered innovations & knowledge to enable creating home-grown technology industries that address national strategies and tackle regional emerging challenges. It was founded by Qatar University in 2009 and is registered and licensed to operate as a technology innovations center from the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP).

Since 2009, QMIC has been utilizing emerging technologies including Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, and Location-Awareness to deliver data-centric platforms and services.  In particular, QMIC has been leading in delivering platforms & solutions focusing on key domains including Intelligent Transport, Logistics & Telematics, Road Safety, and Connected & Autonomous Mobility (CAM).

Through its integrated innovations development & delivery model, QMIC represents a unique and important category within the national Research & Development & Innovations (RDI) enterprise in Qatar that is strategically driven, R&D-based, solution-focused, and business-oriented

For further information please contact Mr. Abdulrahman Ajjawi
Email: abdulrahmanm@qmic.com