Qatari consultancy Ibtechar celebrates a decade of leading practical innovation

Qatar-based Ibtechar is this year celebrating its 10th anniversary, in which it has grown from a start-up into a well-respected player in the GCC’s consulting sector.

Ibtechar was established in 2011, then one of the first incubated startups in Qatar, serving as a platform to lay the foundation for transfer, localization, and development of a culture of innovation and technology in Qatar.

One year after launching the firm, Founder and Chariman Khalid Aboujassoum achieved a milestone when he ranked first in the Stars of Science awards, a program that spotlights visionary innovation leaders in Qatar.

“This recognition motivated me to provide services that help to promote the forward-thinking techniques I gained from the TV show among as many people as possible. I felt the pressing need to offer integrated solutions and programs for different sectors, particularly with the scarcity of Qatari business and enterprises that provide such services and expertise in the local market,” said Aboujassoum.

Over the next years, Ibtechar grew its team and impact at clients, providing tailored advisory services to clients in the public and private sector.

“In 2015, we launched the ‘Sanea Initiative’, an innovative educational program that promotes a culture of making and innovation among the public. Under the program, there emerged the ‘Sanea Bus’, the first mobile digital fabrication laboratory in Qatar and the whole region,” reflected Nayef Al Ibrahim, Co-Founder and CEO of Ibtechar.

In 2018, Ibtechar made the headlines for its role in establishing the inaugural innovation incubation center in Qatar for startups and small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) in various sectors, and one year on, the firm launched Juthoor Al Arabiya to revolutionise Arabic teaching.

As Ibtechar continued to build its expertise and track record in innovation strategy and implementation, it received several awards for its excellence, including listing on QDB’s SME Excellence List 2018, and being named a Top 100 startup in the MENA region by the World Economic Forum in 2019.

Fast forward to today, and many government organisations and private-sector businesses hire Ibtechar to benefit from its expertise in meeting the demand for practical innovation products and services in the Qatari market.

Notable projects include working with the government and private sector players to accomplish around 70% of all innovation spaces in Qatar, such as Qatar Business Incubation Center’s (QBIC) laboratory for QDB and Nama Foundation, the laboratory of Qatar Science and Technology Secondary School for Boys, and the laboratory of Mada Fab Lab for persons with disabilities.

In a strategic partnership with Barzan Holdings, the investment arm of Qatar’s Ministry of Defence, Ibtechar helped develop practical solutions for emerging technologies, such as the Drone Tracking System project.

Other well-known clients on its roster include: the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar Scientific Club, Boeing, Qatar Satellite Company (Es’hailSat), Economic Zones Company (Manateq), Hamad Bin Khalifa University, QSTP, Shell, Bedaya Center for Entrepreneurship and Career Development, and Occidental.

Celebration

At an event held yesterday titled ‘A Decade of Practical Innovation’, representatives of government and other organisations came together to celebrate Ibtechar’s impact to the Qatari economy, and its contribution to the nation’s long-term plan (Qatar National Vision 2030).

Guest speakers included engineer Wesam Swelem (CEO of Delta Corporation), Yousef al-Salehi (executive director of Qatar Science and Technology Park), Hareb al-Jabr (manager of Algal Technologies Programme at Qatar University).

Meanwhile, Ibtechar leaders Aboujassoum and Al Ibrahim also unveiled the company’s vision and strategic plans for the future, and shared its new visual identity and logo.

The firm’s mission reads, “Impactful innovation requires the ability to translate vision into action. At Ibtechar, we build that capacity.”

Ibtechar is a catalyst for progress, operating at the nexus of several ecosystems. Partnering with government, we collaborate with the private and third sectors – from multinational companies to local grassroots organisations. In consultancy, training, project management and implementation we champion a human-centric approach. We prioritise action over theory to deliver meaningful change.”