The Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council’s flagship program, Qatar Open Innovation (QOI), announced the launch of Open Innovation Opportunities in partnership with the Ministry of Labour (MoL) in Qatar to develop certificate attestation process for the Ministry of Labour using technologies such as Blockchain and AI.

Director of Planning, Quality, and innovation, at the Ministry of Labour, Dr. Noura Ghanem Al Hajeri said, “Launching these initiatives in partnership with QRDI Council signifies our commitment to modernize Qatar’s labour sector. The opportunities, for Certification Attestation Process – Optimization through Blockchain Technology and Artificial Intelligence Driven Document Analysis for Qatar’s Ministry of Labour, aim to enhance the efficiency of labor policies and regulations. They will streamline processes, reduce manual labour reliance, and ensure compliance with Qatari law and cybersecurity standards, ultimately enhancing efficiency and advancing the levels of excellence and innovative effectiveness in Qatar’s labor sector.”

The first challenge, titled “Certification Attestation Process – Optimization through Blockchain Technology,” aims to address various issues associated with the current manual certification verification process, such as workforce requirements, extended processing times, semi-automated university and government systems, high costs, intricate procedures, susceptibility to errors, degree forgery, and unauthorized verification.

Director of Research, Development, and Innovation Programs at the QRDI Council Nada Al Olaqi added, “Our collaboration with the Ministry of Labour in Qatar marks a pivotal moment in innovation and technology. QRDI Council, through the Qatar Open Innovation Program, aims to foster partnerships between government entities and local and international technology-based companies, to achieve more excellence, development and innovation in the government sector.

“These partnerships will empower government entities to serve as test beds for piloting innovative technologies, effectively addressing various critical challenges they face.” “Involving government entities in our initiatives is crucial for establishing a robust and vibrant national innovation system in Qatar, aligning with the efforts to build a sustainable society and a knowledge-based economy, a pivotal objective outlined in the National Vision 2030.”

The second challenge, titled “Artificial Intelligence Driven Document Analysis for Qatar’s Ministry of Labour,” focuses on improving the efficiency of the Ministry of Labour’s operations. Manual document analysis has been time-consuming, labour-intensive, and error prone. By adopting AI-driven solutions, MoL aims to modernize its processes, reduce manual labour, and enhance efficiency, with a primary focus on contract analysis in the Arabic language. The proposal submission deadline for both opportunities, as highlighted by Qatar Open Innovation Program, is November 30, 2023.

This comes after Qatar recently launched its digital assets Innovation dome.