DOHA: A team of 12 young entrepreneurs from around the world joined Qatari experts at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) to fine-tune their business models and learn the art of the perfect pitch.
QSTP worked with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) — the UN agency for information and communication technologies — to offer insight into technology-based innovation and commercialisation.
The mentoring workshop supported efforts of Qatar Foundation for Education and QSTP to equip young people with the knowledge they need to make a difference in their community and succeed in the marketplace.
QSTP, part of QF’s scientific research pillar QF R&D, is Qatar’s main incubator for technology development, fostering the environment required for accelerating commercialisation of research and supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.
In the run-up to ITU Telecom World 2014 conference, QSTP hosted a session for participants in ITU’s Young Innovators Programme, which works with people from all over the world to transform their communities and society through technology.
Haya Al Ghanim, QSTP’s Director of Innovation, and Khalid Naji, QSTP’s Acting Director of Strategic Research, were among the session’s mentors.
The team comprised innovators from Qatar, Tunisia, Iran, India, Kenya, Vietnam, Nigeria, Colombia, Uganda and the Philippines.
Using the Business Model Canvas – a globally-recognised tool and template for start-ups – mentors helped entrepreneurs work through critical aspects of building a business model, including cost structure, value proposition, revenue streams and customer relationships.
Qatar resident Ahmed Fawzi, Managing Director, Nano Technologies, worked with Naji to explore new applications for Al Dalilah, a crisis management system that utilises satellite information to allow first responders and firefighters to communicate and share information more rapidly.
The workshop culminated in sessions where each entrepreneur delivered a two-minute standing pitch. The Peninsula
