Doha, Qatar: Qatar and Finland are exploring new opportunities to strengthen cooperation in technology, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and satellite technologies, as both countries seek to expand partnerships between their business and innovation ecosystems.
Speaking to The Peninsula yesterday on the sidelines of a meeting hosted by Qatar Chamber for the high-level Finnish business delegation, the Under-Secretary of State and Deputy Minister for International Trade of the Republic of Finland H E Jarno Syrjälä noted that Finnish companies are well positioned to work with Qatari counterparts in several emerging technology sectors, particularly as demand for advanced connectivity and digital solutions continues to grow.
“Communication is an important area and also digitalisation. It will be more important now when we talk about connectivity,” Syrjälä said, pointing to the development of 5G and preparations for the next generation of connectivity, 6G.
He said Finnish companies are active in these areas, while also highlighting the growing importance of artificial intelligence and quantum computing across different industries.
AI is coming to every field and also quantum computing, and “we have good companies operating in those,” he said, adding that Finland is open to cooperation with Qatar in these areas.
Syrjälä also identified satellite technology as an important area of potential collaboration, noting that it brings together several advanced technologies, including connectivity, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. He also pointed to existing Qatari investments in related fields as a foundation for further cooperation.
On opportunities to strengthen the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sectors of both countries, Syrjälä highlighted Finland’s strong startup and innovation ecosystem and its significant investment in research and development (R&D). He said Finland’s goal is to increase R&D investment to 4 percent of its GDP by the end of the decade, with a significant share of these activities involving small and medium-sized companies.
“Startups start small, and we hope that they will scale up and then be big players,” he said, adding that Finland is happy to share its experience and lessons learned in developing a supportive business ecosystem.
Syrjälä pointed to Finland’s annual Slush startup and technology event as an example of how businesses, investors and entrepreneurs can connect and explore opportunities for cooperation. He said the event attracted around 14,000 participants from around the world last year, creating opportunities not only for startups to meet investors but also for investors to build new partnerships.
He also stressed that investment in education and skills development must go hand in hand with investment in R&D.
“You have to invest a lot also in education. You have to make sure that there is a talent pool,” Syrjälä said, noting that technological investment can only deliver results when countries have the skilled workforce needed to support innovation.
He said Finland’s approach is based on combining strong investment in R&D with investment in education to create an environment where innovation and businesses can grow.
Education itself, he added, represents another potential area of cooperation between Finland and Qatar, with discussions on collaboration in the field expected to further strengthen ties between the two countries.
