Since 2011, ibTECHar made remarkable achievements which translated into growing operations.
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.
As part of the event, there was a panel discussion on ‘Innovation and Knowledge Based Economic Development’.
Guest speakers included engineer Wesam Swelem, CEO of Delta Corporation; Yousef al-Salehi, executive director of Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP); Dr Hareb al-Jabr, manager of Algal Technologies Programme at Qatar University, and Khalid Aboujassoum, founder and chairman of ibTECHar.
The list of topics discussed included innovation pillars, challenges to economic diversification, and vision and commitment towards a knowledge-based economy.
Aboujassoum said: “One year after the creation of ibTECHar, I ranked first in the Stars of Science awards. This 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 programmes for different sectors, particularly with the scarcity of Qatari business and enterprises that provide such services and expertise in the local market.
"Two year later, I accumulated knowledge and demonstrated the importance of achieving integration in the locally available services. In 2013, the company began to provide tailored solutions and services to meet the specific needs of clients.
Nayef al-Ibrahim, founding partner and CEO of ibTECHar, said: “In 2015, we launched the ‘Sanea Initiative’, an innovative educational programme that promotes a culture of making and innovation among the public. Under the programme emerged the ‘Sanea Bus’, the first mobile digital fabrication laboratory in Qatar and the whole region”.
Over the past few years, ibTECHar reaped the benefits of strategic planning and considerable knowledge of the mechanisms for developing innovative products. In 2019, the company was selected by the World Economic Forum among the top 100 startups in the Mena region.
It also appeared on Qatar Development Bank's (QDB) SME Excellence List 2018.
The milestones in the history of ibTECHar include being assigned by QDB to undertake the development and operation of the country’s first digital fabrication laboratory (Fab Lab) to serve startups and small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) in various sectors. It created a strategic partnership with Barzan Holdings, the investment arm of Qatar’s Ministry of Defence, to develop practical solutions for emerging technologies, such as the Drone Tracking System project. These achievements constituted a proof of the trust that the company enjoys from many components of the local market.
ibTECHar accomplished 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.
Year by year, Ibtechar confidently continued to develop its innovative services/programmes and attract more clients, including but not limited to: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar Scientific Club (QSC), Boeing, Qatar Satellite Company (Es’hailSat), Economic Zones Company (Manateq), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), QSTP, Qatar Shell, Bedaya Center for entrepreneurship and career development, and Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd.