The Qatar-Ukraine Business Forum (QUBF) is making technological advancements a key priority as part of its 2024 action plan, aligning closely with the country’s Third National Development Strategy (NDS3) 2024-2030, an official has said. “Acting in line with Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy, the QUBF intends to make its possible contribution by prioritising the potential industries in Qatar-Ukraine partnerships,” QUBF chairperson Dr Olga Revina told Gulf Times on Sunday. In a move to strengthen ties between Qatar and Ukraine’s tech sectors, Revina said QUBF has announced a new collaboration with UNIT.City, one of the largest innovation parks in Central and Eastern Europe based in Ukraine. “QUBF, in collaboration with UNIT.City – one of the biggest innovative platforms in Central and Eastern Europe – agreed to jointly form the ‘Tech and Innovation Committee’ under the umbrella of QUBF. The goal is to create a portfolio of innovative tech startups from Ukraine that will be able to realise numerous opportunities offered by the Qatari ecosystem,” Revina pointed out. According to Revina, the partnership aims to identify promising Ukrainian startups and connect them with the vibrant startup environment of Qatar, which is positioning itself as a global business hub. “QUBF’s Action Plan 2024 outlined a number of events with a primary focus on technological advancements,” said Revina, who also lauded Qatar for remaining focused on diversifying its key economic sectors, fostering a business-friendly climate, and attracting foreign investment along with skilled talent. Citing potential partnerships with startups in Qatar, Revina said Ukraine has developed an impressive startup ecosystem despite the ongoing war, producing several unicorn companies like People.ai, Grammarly, and Gitlab, among others, with massive global user bases. UNIT.City plays a vital role in nurturing this ecosystem as the first innovation park in the country, Revina noted. “As QUBF founders, we were very confident in this collaboration because we believe that Ukrainians have a lot to offer and contribute. UNIT.City helps us select attractive Ukrainian startups to be introduced in Qatar,” Revina emphasised. Revina also pointed out that the Tech and Innovation Committee will leverage resources and expertise from both QUBF and UNIT.City, whose focus has been on supporting early-stage startups through funding, facilitating access to support services, and bolstering globally competitive incubation and acceleration programmes. She also underscored the strategic partnership between Qatar and Ukraine in the technology domain holds immense potential, saying that by tapping into Ukraine’s robust tech talent pool, the collaboration could open new avenues for innovation, entrepreneurship, and cross-border investments aligning with Qatar’s economic diversification ambitions.
