| Issue 2
| Signature of Qatar-UK Memorandum of Understanding
Qatar and the UK: A Deep Scientific Connection
Science and innovation have a huge role to play in both the Qatar and UK economies. It is no surprise then that both countries are seeking to find new areas for cooperation across a range of research fields.
According to the UK governmentbacked Science and Innovation Network( SIN), Qatar, one of thirty countries with which SIN works, is a leader in terms of scientific and innovative ambition. Qatar’ s research priorities are managed by the Qatar National Research Fund( QNRF), which oversees a national programme to support the country’ s international research engagement.
Over the past 10 years, QNRF has distributed over £ 600 million to support partnerships around the world. In the UK alone, more than 130 joint projects with UK universities have been awarded grants by QNRF, with each individual grant amounting to around £ 725,000 over three years.
While the focus of these projects varies, QNRF has sought to drive research and innovation in the fields of energy, environment, health, social sciences, and cyber-security.
One of the most successful of these joint projects is the Carbonates and Carbon Storage Centre, supported by Qatar Petroleum, Shell, and Qatar Science and Technology Park. The project aims to conduct pioneering research to better understand carbonate reservoirs in
Qatar and support the deployment of clean carbon capture technology. Based in the UK, the project is currently Imperial College London’ s largest overseas research investment.
Both Qatar and the UK are also seeking new opportunities to foster knowledge-sharing and exchange. Throughout 2016, QNRF and the UK Government co-funded a series of workshops to bring together hundreds of Qatari researchers with their UK counterparts. Each workshop focused on a different topic in line with Qatar’ s national research priorities, including connected healthcare, big data management, and entrepreneurship.
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