(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Deepak John |
The Peninsula
Doha: The 4th Qatar-Poland New Tech Forum will boost technological collaboration between Qatar and Poland.“Qatar is a very important partner for us and the trade volume between the two countries is impressive,” H E Janusz Janke, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Qatar, said.
The forum which will take place on September 26 is organised by the Qatar-Poland Business Council and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Doha. The event enjoys strategic partnerships with stakeholders like the Qatar financial Centre (QFC), ORLEN (the Polish multi-energy conglomerate), The Open Group OSDU Forum, Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (IPA), Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), QTerminals, SLB and SNT Dynamics.
“We got a very positive feedback from our Qatari partners as the number of institutions is growing. This year's edition has a new concept because we as an embassy are looking for the most efficient ways to boost cooperation and promote Qatar and Poland. We have invited globally recognised leaders like Microsoft, IBM to confirm that Qatar is doing a great job by establishing the data center and applying IT solutions. We have the ambition to present Qatar and Poland as a hub for meetings using same infrastructure like data centers” H E Janusz Janke said during the press conference.
The ambassador added that“Qatar is a very important partner for us and we are importing one third of our LNG from Qatar, our trade volume is impressive but we want to diversify and not just be limited to energy.”
Speaking about the bilateral relations between the two countries, Janke noted,“Last year we reached $2bn as a turnover. Poland is a manufacturing hub, so we can find in Qatar the things produced in Poland distributed by international companies like the automotive business, electronics, white goods. Our companies need to learn more about Qatari market and vice versa and see the business opportunities.”
Commenting on the event, Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida, Chief Executive Officer, QFC, said“The QFC takes pride in being part of the Qatar-Poland New Tech Forum. This event is not just about fostering innovation, it is about nurturing economic development. It also represents the shared dedication of Poland and Qatar to work hand in hand in building a brighter, tech-driven future.”
Aligned with global sustainability goals, the event will delve into technological innovations for integrating renewable energy sources and utilizing CCUS for climate change mitigation. In collaboration with The Open Group OSDU Forum, the event will highlight the need for a unified, open-source, standards-based data platform for the energy industry.
Also, speaking at the press conference, Pawel Kulaga, Chairman of the Qatar-Poland Business Council, said“The partnership with The Open Group OSDU Forum is very interesting for Qatar and the Middle East as this organisation has 600 members and 200 of them are in the energy sector. The platform is to combine oil and gas and energy companies with the IT sector; together they are building a platform to share big data,which playscrucial role in both industries.”
“We hope this forum will promote mutual cooperation not only between Qatar and Poland but globally. The Qatar-Poland Business Council's mission is always to promote those relations closer.”
“Poland can be treated as a hub just like Qatar is a hub to the Middle East, Eastern Africa and South Asia, because of the facilities built like the Hamad airport, sea port, and the onshore platform – Qatar Financial Centre (QFC). Poland is the largest and the most populated country in the Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) region and a local leader. You can successfully expand to the European Union from here.”
Replying to a query regarding participation of Polish companies, he said“For this event we are more focused on energy, IT and cyber security sectors and we will have around five Polish prominent companies participating and the rest will be global companies having their presence in Poland.”
Speaking about the level of Qatari investment in Poland, he said“There used to be investment in real estate and office commercial spaces, but now we are expecting a large contribution in to the logistics sector through building a deep sea port that is also connected with LNG supply which is the first largest Qatari investment in Poland.”
Grzegorz Gawin, Minister Counsellor, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Doha, said“There is also another special thing this year at the forum because we decided to add some cultural touch to this business event by exhibiting the works of Jerzy Nowosielski, one of the greatest contemporary Polish painters.“
“The main idea of the forum is to bring big international companies that have experience both from Qatar and Poland. We want to learn from them about the opportunities and how they have operated in these both markets” he added.