Qatar’s Innovation Labs Reshape Government Practice, Says Expert Panel

Senior government officials, academics, and innovation leaders have explored how Public Innovation Labs (PILs) can help governments improve service delivery, foster citizen engagement, and build agile institutions.

Eman al-Kuwari, director of Digital Innovation at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), underscored how MCIT is reimagining the role of government in the digital age, citing the TASMU Innovation Lab.

“Technology is the means, not the end; we created the Innovation Lab to offer a safe environment for experimentation. It’s a space where we can test emerging technologies, validate ideas, and include the wider ecosystem.

“That includes startups, academia, and private sector partners. We’re reimagining how government works — and that starts with giving teams the confidence to try,” al-Kuwari pointed out during the inaugural ‘Ibtechar Majlis’, a new dialogue series launched earlier by Qatari innovation firm Ibtechar.

She added that innovation must be embedded in the culture of public institutions: “It’s not just about infrastructure or policy — it’s about building a mindset. We want government teams to be able to experiment, to test, and to learn. That’s how we bring real value to public services.”

Nejoud M al-Jehani, executive director of Strategy & Programmes at the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council, offered a strategic framing of innovation, distinguishing between internal reform and ecosystem-wide transformation.

“We differentiate between government innovation and public innovation. Government innovation is about improving internal processes — policies, service delivery, operations. Public innovation is broader. It’s about creating value for society by mobilising the entire ecosystem: government entities, corporates, startups, and universities,” al-Jehani explained.

Emphasising the dual role of government in this landscape, she continued: “As an adopter, government defines challenges and becomes the first customer. That builds market confidence. As an enabler, it sets standards, opens partnerships, and creates the conditions for innovation to thrive across sectors.”

Hissa al-Tamimi, director of Governmental Innovation at the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB), spoke about the launch of Qatar’s first government accelerator and its role in bridging national priorities with operational realities.

She said, “We’re rethinking how services are designed and how operations are managed. The accelerator helps us connect national projects with the day-to-day work of government entities.”

Al-Tamimi also addressed the cultural challenge of embedding innovation in public institutions, saying, “If innovation were just about systems, adaptation would be easy. But when you’re dealing with people, that’s where the challenge lies. Innovation pushes us beyond our comfort zones. It’s not a privilege — it’s a way of living. That’s the only way we can advance.”

Dr Georgios Dimitropoulos, professor and associate dean for Research at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s College of Law, highlighted the importance of collaboration between academia and government: “Academia brings ideas and evidence. The government brings implementability. The two sides need each other.”

Citing historical examples to illustrate the power of this partnership, Dimitropoulos said: “Think of the Manhattan Project, the COVID vaccines, and the Internet. These were all born from collaboration between government and academia. Qatar’s AI strategy is a local example. It was developed with HBKU’s Qatar Computing Research Institute, and it positioned the country as an early adopter.”

Ibtechar co-founder and CEO Nayef al-Ibrahim, who moderated the discussion, framed the Majlis as a culturally rooted space for dialogue and co-creation, adding that it is “an integral part of Qatari culture.”

“Public Innovation Labs continue that spirit. They offer governments safe spaces to test ideas, co-create with citizens, and deliver agile services. In a small state, a model that combines centralised coordination with decentralised experimentation brings significant value. It allows for flexibility, inclusion, and scale—all while maintaining coherence,” he added.