Entrepreneurship can be learned, says QSTP

This claim was made by Qatar Science & Technology Park's Operations Manager Dr. Salvino Salvaggio at the 7th Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade today, as he explained how coming programs at the science park will boost technology enterprise in Qatar.

"Building a country's knowledge economy is all about developing the capacity of its people" said Salvaggio. "There is nothing magic about business innovation: the process for generating ideas, selecting the best ones, and developing them into marketable products and services is quite structured and can be learned".

Qatar Science & Technology Park is establishing a business incubator that will open in late 2007, providing premises and support programs to help grow start-up technology companies in Qatar. Entrepreneurship training courses and mentoring by seasoned business leaders are among its planned programs.

"Experience shows that you can successfully teach business-building skills through formal courses" said Salvaggio in his presentation. "Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, for example, has graduated thousands of entrepreneurs, including one who started a company now valued at $300 million."

According to Salvaggio technology entrepreneurship in Qatar, although in its infancy, will grow quickly, as shown by other countries that have invested in education. He said that two percent of the local labour force is classified as 'self employed' or 'employers', while in Korea 54 percent of college graduates aim to work for a start-up venture.

"Qatar has a proud and successful history in economic activities such as oil and gas projects, construction and trading. In the future technology entrepreneurship will be added to this list, as a result of world-class training and support programs of Qatar's universities and Qatar Science & Technology Park."