Sustainility Community opens new opportunities for partnership while strengthening Qatar’s position as a global leader in sustainability and innovation.
The Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council officially launched the RDI Sustainability Community, a significant initiative under its National RDI Communities programme.
This community aims to encourage innovation and collaboration in addressing sustainability challenges, advancing sustainable practices, and supporting Qatar’s long-term sustainability goals.
The innitiative aims at “bringing together key stakeholders, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers in the sustainability sectors. This community strives to promote innovation and collaboration in tackling sustainability challenges, advancing sustainable practices, and supporting Qatar’s long-term sustainability goals.”
The launch event was attended by Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, who delivered the opening remarks.
Welcoming remarks were also shared by Eng. Omar Al Ansari, Secretary General of the QRDI Council.
Their addresses emphasised the vital role that communities like the RDI Sustainability Community play in fostering collaboration and driving innovation to help realize Qatar’s sustainability goals.
In addition to community-building, QRDI Council has carried out a range of initiatives to drive sustainability-focused innovation, including the Qatar Open Innovation calls as part of their Qatar Open Innovation Program, that address climate change and environmental challenges.
Additionally, QRDI Council’s scientific research calls on Food Security Call (FSC) and the Climate Change and Environment Call (CCEC), work towards advancing more sustainable innovation.
These efforts highlight the Council’s ongoing commitment to fostering impactful, sustainable solutions. By integrating these initiatives with the newly launched RDI Sustainability Community, QRDI Council aims to co-develop solutions with both national and global relevance, creating real, lasting impact for its members, the nation, and the wider world.
Eng. Omar Al Ansari, Secretary General at QRDI Council, noted that Qatar faces specific national challenges and economic opportunities that can be addressed through research, development, and innovation.
He emphasised that sustainability is one of the five national priorities identified in the QRDI 2030 strategy, where targeted RDI efforts can build essential capabilities.
“By launching initiatives like this one, which specifically target sustainability, we are working toward addressing these national challenges head-on,” he said.
He added that this new community is one of several avenues through which the QRDI Council is pushing this agenda forward.
The event agenda featured a diverse range of sessions, beginning with a keynote address titled “Sustainability: A Cost or an Opportunity?” delivered by Dr. Tareq Al-Ansari, Executive Director at Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI).
This was followed by a panel discussion on “Accelerating Innovation and Impactful Research to Drive Qatar’s Sustainable Future.” Esteemed guests from across government, academia, policy, and industry came together to engage with distinguished panelists representing the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Qatar University, Earthna, and Milaha.
The discussion focused on how innovation and research can play a pivotal role in advancing Qatar’s sustainability agenda, with panelists offering valuable perspectives on the opportunities and challenges in this space.
The community will enable members to influence QRDI’s funding opportunities and calls, identify emerging research needs, trends, and funding gaps, and play a critical role in shaping strategy and sector priorities.
Additionally, it will address policy and research gaps while encouraging knowledge-sharing among members.
Members enjoy a wide range of benefits, including exclusive access to research funding and specialised training programs.
They also have the opportunity to influence national policies and strategies, playing a direct role in shaping Qatar’s approach to sustainability.
Through this work, the RDI Sustainability Community will drive the collaboration needed to create innovative solutions. It will ensure alignment with Qatar’s national research, development, and innovation strategies, opening new opportunities for partnership while strengthening Qatar’s position as a global leader in sustainability and innovation.
The event, held at Park Hyatt Msheireb in Doha, brought together researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to foster collaboration in addressing sustainability challenges and advancing Qatar’s long-term sustainability objectives.
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, presided over the launch.
He emphasised the community’s role as a national platform that unites experts and decision-makers to exchange knowledge and develop innovative solutions contributing to the realisation of Qatar National Vision 2030.
Dr Al Subaie commended the QRDI Council’s efforts in establishing an environment conducive to innovation and scientific research across the nation.
The RDI Sustainability Community aims to promote innovation and collaboration in tackling sustainability challenges, advancing sustainable practices, and supporting Qatar’s long-term sustainability goals.
This initiative aligns with the QRDI Council’s broader strategy to transform Qatar into a global hub for research, development, and innovation, as outlined in the QRDI 2030 vision.
The launch of the RDI Sustainability Community marks a pivotal step in uniting Qatar’s research and innovation sectors to address environmental challenges.
By fostering a collaborative ecosystem, the QRDI Council continues to drive progress towards a sustainable and innovative future for Qatar.
