Qatar Science & Technology Park reports steady startup and investor engagement
Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) says startup and investor engagement has remained steady despite ongoing regional uncertainties, with innovation and research programs continuing without disruption across its Qatar Foundation–backed ecosystem. “Our community has kept moving; not just maintaining what exists but actively building on it,” said Ahmed A.
Al-Said, Director of Business Development at QSTP. He described the ecosystem as built for continuity, enabling support for startups to proceed through recent weeks. In that period, QSTP held 12 online workshops reaching more than 1,100 participants, alongside five pitching sessions and six targeted mentorship engagements.
Its accelerator programs have continued online and are scheduled to resume on the ground in Qatar as planned. Preparations are also underway for a new season of Stars of Science, Qatar Foundation’s flagship innovation and entrepreneurship television program. Al-Said said the park continues to see strong diversity, with active startups representing 39 countries.
He added that investor and partner engagement has remained steady and research and development activity across the ecosystem has proceeded without interruption. “Investor confidence is something you earn over time, and what we’re seeing at QSTP is that the track record holds,” he said.
He pointed to global participation in two recent accelerator programs as evidence of continued confidence. The QSTP x TotalEnergies WaterTech Accelerator received 226 applications from 79 countries, while the QSTP x Merck FemTech Accelerator attracted 242 applications from 64 countries, with 71 percent of applicants being women-led startups.
QSTP currently hosts more than 400 companies, including multinational corporations. Al-Said said strong growth is being seen in energy, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and health technology, with foundational AI—spanning machine learning, data infrastructure, and applied intelligence—and Healthtech standing out as leading priorities.
The strongest momentum, he noted, is coming from startups that combine deep technology capabilities with practical, real-world applications. Discussing Qatar’s competitiveness as a regional innovation hub, Al-Said said it is defined by more than financial incentives.
He cited regulatory clarity, infrastructure readiness, and a strong talent pipeline as key strengths, alongside access to world-class facilities, incentive programs, research and development grants, and a network of academic and research institutions within the Qatar Foundation ecosystem.
He also emphasized the availability of highly skilled graduates from national universities and international branch campuses. According to Al-Said, on-the-ground activities are set to resume as scheduled while digital engagement continues, underscoring QSTP’s focus on continuity and sustained global interest in its programs.