The Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council has launched its new initiative, the ‘Intellectual Property Champions Community’.

The community is open to a wide range of stakeholders, including IP professionals, technology transfer experts, academics, legal practitioners, and government officials.

Members of the Intellectual Property Champions Community will enjoy numerous benefits, including timely updates on significant IP developments, invitations to specialised events tailored to IP matters, and detailed information on awards and relevant training opportunities.

By joining the community, members will have the opportunity to engage with valuable resources, participate in transformative discussions, and advance their IP and technology transfer initiatives. The community aims to drive Qatar’s innovation landscape forward by providing a platform for collaboration and recognition.

At the launch event, Nejoud al-Jehani, QRDI senior director of Policy Planning and Evaluation, provided an overview of the community’s goals. In his keynote address, Dr Sushil Iyer, principal at Fish and Richardson, highlighted the significance of an IP community in fostering innovation.

Amna al-Kuwari, director of the Intellectual Property Protection Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) delivered an overview of MoCI’s mandate in IP in Qatar and plans aimed at providing support to the IP Community.

Participants also took part in a workshop offering a hands-on experience focused on building and sustaining an IP community, including group activities and insights led by ASTP, a premier European association of knowledge transfer professionals.

Rosena Nhlabatsi, QRDI senior IP expert, delivered the closing remarks and summarised key insights, outlined upcoming events, and solicited member feedback to further enhance the quality of research and management in Qatar.