Innovation Policy Symposium gets under way in Oman

Muscat: Innovation updates and evaluation of progress made in scientific research and innovation are at the core of a symposium that began here on Monday.
The Innovation Policy Symposium is being organised by The Research Council (TRC) in collaboration with the British Council started at Crowne Plaza Muscat Hotel under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin Asa’ad Al Said. The two-day syposium aims at empowerment and development of institutional and social innovation at the GCC States.
The first day included three sessions. The first session tilted ‘Innovation and Ecosystems’ was moderated by Dr Rahma Al Mahrouqiyah from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU).
The second session titled ‘Innovation Smart Technology’ was moderated by Dr Saif Al Hadabi, Assistant Secretary General for Programmes and Scientific Researches at TRC.
His Highness Sayyid Dr Fahd bin Al Julanda Al Said, Assistant Secretary General for Innovation Development at TRC said in a statement that the symposium is an initiative of TRC in cooperation with the British Council in Muscat, Gulf Programme from Innovation and Knowledge Economy in UK.
He added that the symposium covers the scientific research ecosystems and regulations, the future smart technologies, the future cities and innovation sustainability.
He also pointed out that the seminar will provide updates about innovation initiatives in the advanced countries. It will also provide an opportunity to evaluate the progress made in scientific research and innovation, which may provide ideal solutions for many challenges and problems facing any society.
Dr Saleh Mohammed Al Ghamdi, from King Abdullah International Centre for Scientific Research said in a statement that youths in the Gulf states have many pioneering ideas and can keep pace with modern development if they are nurtured and provided with the conducive milieu.
In the same context, Paul Hilder, Director of British Council in Muscat said in a statement that the British Council in the Gulf region is based on scientific research and innovation projects and today we are opening the project in Muscat.
He pointed out that there are series of scientific projects at which researches from all Gulf States and UK join hands to share information, knowledge and expertise.
The symposium, which is the first of its kind on the level of Arabian Gulf, seeks to provide the GCC decision makers and academicians with the opportunity to share experiences with innovation policy makers and innovation centres’ leaders in the UK.
A number of scientific research and innovations centers and institutions in the Sultanate and other GCC States take part in the symposium.