IPMnews. IPM welcomes organisations with innovative mindset for collaboration. Issue 5 - August HH Sayyed Dr. Fahad bin Al Julanda Al Said

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www.ipm.om IPMnews Issue 5 - August 2016 IPM welcomes organisations with innovative mindset for collaboration HH Sayyed Dr.

1 IPMnews Issue 5 - August 2016 IPM welcomes organisations with innovative mindset for collaboration HH Sayyed Dr. Fahad bin Al Julanda Al Said FEATURES NEWS 01 The positive impact of IPM in Oman s prosperity 04 Initial approve for the establishment of a Park Management Company 02 Interview with HH Sayyed Dr. Fahad bin Al Julanda Al Said 06 IPM holds meeting with a group of investors 03 Factors required for success of Science Parks IPM participates in the Al Roya Economic Forum 2016

2 01 From the Director s Desk Change and innovation will be the new normal and the new constant. At a time when the world economy is going through a period of slow down, at Innovation Park Muscat (IPM) we believe now more than ever that innovation is certainly the need of the hour. With disruptive technologies, new business models and an accelerating pace of change, the world is increasingly moving towards an innovation economy. Specialised knowledge and advanced professional skills will still be critically important but the market will increasingly call for resourceful people with an adaptive mindset and abilities to drive innovation or at least keep up with the pace of change. Because change and innovation will be the new normal and the new constant. Therefore at IPM we are committed to provide a vibrant environment that fosters growth, enhances collaboration and nurtures innovation. As a part of these efforts a Park Management Company has been approved by The Research Council to ensure smooth administration and optimum upkeep of IPM s facilities and resources. Dr. Abdulbaqi Al Khabouri Director of Science Parks Further, we have thrown open the doors of IPM to the scientific community and investors. And we invite collaboration between the academic, private and the diverse industry sectors of local and international communities. We look forward to becoming a platform for R&D centres and science-based companies who will develop the next generation of companies and grow commerce in the Sultanate. GENERATE JOBS Generate over 3,000 jobs of highly creative and specialised talents within the next 10 years of operating the park. THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF IPM ON OMAN S PROSPERITY STIMULATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SCIENCE & INNOVATION Create a sustainable pipeline of 10 new science-based companies per annum ATTRACT INVESTMENTS IN R&D Estimated turnover of OMR 250 Million generated from science-based companies ECONOMIC GROWTH Commercialised new technologies Increase intellectual properties in Oman Foster R&D activities and knowledge-based business Provide Industrial Solutions Contribute to the GDP

02 IPM WELCOMES ORGANISATIONS WITH INNOVATIVE MINDSET FOR COLLABORATION HH SAYYED DR FAHAD BIN AL JULANDA AL SAID Assistant Secretary General of the Innovation Development Department of The Research

3 02 IPM WELCOMES ORGANISATIONS WITH INNOVATIVE MINDSET FOR COLLABORATION HH SAYYED DR FAHAD BIN AL JULANDA AL SAID Assistant Secretary General of the Innovation Development Department of The Research Council (TRC) As an inspiration and guiding light for the science and technology developments in the Sultanate of Oman, Assistant Secretary General of the Innovation Development Department of The Research Council (TRC), HH Sayyed Dr Fahad Al Said shares his thoughts about the challenges and opportunities facing IPM, private-public sector collaboration, and how there has never been a better time for innovation. The world is facing unprecedented challenges, be with economies of countries, energy, climate change, or health and communities. These challenges are better addressed by both governments, and the private sector together with the community. What was the main objective of organising the "invitation to innovation" event? IPM has been continuously investing time and effort in presenting the opportunities at the park to discerning investors across both Public and Private sector enterprise. We have held many forums with industry experts and domain specialists to help them explore the opportunities at IPM. The Invitation to Innovation event was yet another platform for us to focus on raising awareness of IPM and the long term advantages it offers to the Sultanate s economy. We also felt that it will help in identifying stakeholders from the private and public sectors in the four key areas of IPM s focus; namely energy, food & biotechnology, water & environment and health sciences. Who are the target audience? Investment companies and fund providers, stakeholders and large corporations within the four sectors of IPM s specialisation and business service providers. Is it alright to involve stakeholders at a time when IPM s first phase is still under development? Since the formulation of the science park project, we realised the importance of building a strong public-private partnership to support the growth of the park. Having the right investor partners, will help us meet the objectives of IPM and its contribution to the National Innovation Strategy of TRC towards driving Oman into a knowledge economy. An event of this kind at this stage is vital to seek feedback, learn from our various stakeholders about their challenges and expectations, evaluate our actions and plan for the future in a structured and collaborative way. It also allows us to take a reality check, get to know if the facilities and services meet the requirements, evaluate interest and provide for improvements while we can. The forum also helped us provide the investors with information about the possibilities in Park Management Company (PMC), Incubation Program, Seed funding, Prototyping Workshop, leasing space to develop R&D centers, hotels, recreation centers, school and more. What will be the positive impact of bringing the private and government sectors in one table, and why would they collaborate with IPM? The world is facing unprecedented challenges, be with economies of countries, energy, climate change, or health and communities. These challenges are better addressed by both governments, and the private sector together with the community. Science & Technology Parks (STPs) are the perfect eco-system to bring all parties together to work on common meaningful solutions that benefit all. Collaboration between private and public enterprise allows us to work on practical solutions that will truly move things forward, from policy-making to product-making. We are keen to run IPM as a dynamic business, in that, it will compete with its offerings in world markets to attract the best and the most inspired. We have established a PMC to this effect, which will help us become more agile, flexible and responsive to market needs. Considering the current challenges of Oman s efforts to move away from hydrocarbons to drive the economy forward, can science parks such as IPM help improve the situation in the long term? Innovation thrives on challenges. And there is no better time for all of us to get together to find new ways to address these challenges. STPs promote economic development and competitiveness of towns and cities. So to answer your question, yes, IPM can in the long run add value to the economy not only in terms of financial rewards but also through creating a number of benefits. These include generating knowledge-based jobs, attracting talented workforce, boosting R&D activities, stimulating entrepreneurship in innovation, creating new business opportunities, enhancing the synergy between universities and companies, and creating competitive advantage for the country.

4 03 Factors required for success of Science Parks. PROXIMITY TO UNIVERSITY AND ACCESS TO THE NECESSARY TALENTED WORK FORCE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES þ IPM apart from having 4 in-house research institutes is based close to SQU TRAINED HUMAN AND INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL þ Available especially in the energy sector, we have high number of graduates in science and engineering from Oman and across the world PRESENCE OF RESEARCH CLUSTERS þ 4 Research institutes in IPM pursue applied research and provide solutions for the four sectors. SPACE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT þ Over 200,000 square metre of space available for future extension, in addition to new access roads GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE þ Word-class facilities and services available at IPM STRONG PARK LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE þ IPM will be operated by a Park Management Company with experienced local and international teams LOW FINANCIAL RISK þ Due to the size of the park and phased deployment strategy, Innovation Park Muscat will minimize the project risk POLITICAL STABILITY & SAFETY þ Oman offers stable governance and secure environment IDEAL BUSINESS CLIMATE þ Muscat with its high level of market sophistication provides a great environment for IPM to thrive STRATEGIC LOCATION þ Situated at the heart of Muscat, it is close to the International Airport, commercial areas and residential areas.

04 TED Talk on Technology This scientist makes ears out of apples Watch this video and share your views of how the future will look like with such a technology.

His favorite materials are the simplest ones (and at times he finds them in the garbage).

5 04 TED Talk on Technology This scientist makes ears out of apples Watch this video and share your views of how the future will look like with such a technology.. Your views will be featured in our next newsletter. For feedback and comments, please noor.alriyami@ipm.om TED Fellow Andrew Pelling is a biohacker and nature is his hardware. His favorite materials are the simplest ones (and at times he finds them in the garbage). Building on the cellulose structure that gives an apple its shape, he grows life like human ears, pioneering a process that might someday be used to repair body parts safely and cheaply. Approval for Park Management Company to push for innovation and research in Oman The creation of a Park Management Company (PMC) to manage the Innovation Park Muscat (IPM) was approved, in principle, by The Research Council Board on the 29th of May The approval came during the second meeting of the TRC Board for 2016, chaired by His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Advisor to His Majesty the Sultan and Chairman of TRC. PMC s mandate is to provide the best governance and management to IPM. International practices for managing a science and technology parks shows that the success of the project during the start-up period depends on the efficiency of the management structure. Strong leadership is important both to ensure the consistency of the concept, the program, and the science park s economic development role, and to adjust the development of the park on the basis of the initial results.

6 05 Take a tour of IPM Explore IPM campus to experience our infrastructure and facilities and to learn about the investment opportunities in the park. To arrange your visit, please contact: Ms. Umaima Al Adawi Customer Service Specialist Call: Umaima. Aladawi@trc.gov.om

06 IPM holds meeting with a group of investors IPM conducted a meeting on 30 May, 2016 with a group of businessmen, entrepreneurs and investors from diverse fields.

Fahd Bin Al Julanda Al Said, Assistant Secretary General for the Development of Innovation at The Research Council (TRC).

7 06 IPM holds meeting with a group of investors IPM conducted a meeting on 30 May, 2016 with a group of businessmen, entrepreneurs and investors from diverse fields. The meet was attended by a number of strategic partners in the investment and entrepreneurship support sector. The meeting began with a speech by His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahd Bin Al Julanda Al Said, Assistant Secretary General for the Development of Innovation at The Research Council (TRC). He spoke about the importance of building partnerships with public and private stakeholders, to achieve economic growth, create more job opportunities and sustain development in research & innovation sector. This was followed by a detailed talk by Dr. Abdulbaqi Ali Al Khabouri, the Director of Science Parks. He spoke in detail about the main components of the park, the services it offers and how it will benefit researchers in turning their research into viable products which can compete in the domestic and offshore markets. In addition, he also spoke about the nature of long-term investment opportunities offered by the park, the importance of investor cooperation to ensure development in the field of research and knowledge-based economy, the importance of the park in building economic and research competitiveness in the Sultanate. IPM participates in the Al Roya Economic Forum 2016 IPM participated in the 5 th edition of the Al Roya Economic Vision Forum, titled Turning Economic Crisis into Business Opportunity, on 5 May, 2016 at Grand Hyatt Muscat. The forum focused on identifying the most promising economic sectors in the Sultanate, the opportunities which exist to diversify the economy, and thus help the Sultanate avoid the repercussions of the oil price drop. IPM setup a stall at the forum to create awareness on its infrastructure and how it can function as an attractive investment destination for entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium enterprises. In addition, it also informed the gathering on how it can promote scientific research and innovation locally and abroad.

Creating Innovation Ecosystem Through Science Parks. Dr Abdulbaqi Ali Al Khabouri Director of Science Parks

Creating Innovation Ecosystem Through Science Parks Dr Abdulbaqi Ali Al Khabouri Director of Science Parks DOCUMENT OUTLINE THE ECONOMIC REVOLUTION & KBE ABOUT TRC INNOVATION PARK MUSCAT ACHIEVEMENTS &