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Ecosystem
↑ HEC PARIS Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr. Allan Villegas-Mateos
in their programs. The dilemma is that even when the country strives to create better entrepreneurship conditions, if the culture and people don’t want careers as entrepreneurs, then you have problems in developing innovation and technology.” HEC Paris in Qatar publishes first comprehensive review According to Dr. Villegas-Mateos, more of Qatar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem inter-institutional collaboration is needed to cultivate a stronger entrepreneurial culture, as well as support those who are interested in new book published by HEC Paris in “I wanted to learn about Qatar’s entreprebecoming entrepreneurs. “The most natural Qatar is shining a light on the neurial ecosystem, but when I started places to find and/or create new entreprecountry’s emerging startup ecosysresearching it a year ago, I realized that there neurs are universities,” he added. “In tem, with it providing data and insights to isn’t too much available data, so, I took on the consequence, from HEC Paris in Qatar, I am support stakeholders through every stage of challenge of collating the data myself,” Dr. leading the creation of a network involving the entrepreneurial journey. Villegas-Mateos said, in an interview with stakeholders of different institutions, from Authored by HEC Paris Postdoctoral Entrepreneur Middle East. “Hence, the universities, to incubators and governmental Research Associate Dr. Allan Villegas-Mateos, opportunity to write a book came about, and I players. One example is that for the first time Qatar’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem has been viewed it as a scientific contribution to the in Qatar, we implemented this year an built based off both research and first-hand development of Qatar.” international study in Education City and experiences of participants in this space. Following its release in May this year, Dr. Qatar University called the Global University Villegas-Mateos’ book has been billed as the Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey to first to examine Qatar’s entrepreneurial measure entrepreneurial career intentions.” ecosystem and processes in their entirety, While Qatar remains the world’s richest per with it also listing recommendations for capita country, Dr. Villegas-Mateos pointed different stakeholders in the country to help out that its intention to transition into a bolster the national economy and advance its knowledge-based economy requires it to progress as per the Qatar National Vision invest in its entrepreneurial ecosystem, 2030. especially now that the world’s eyes are on the SMEs “Right now, in Qatar, the business environcountry ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Startups Venture Capital ment feels more flexible and open, especially 2022. “For a country like Qatar right now, Innovation Disruptive Technologies with the FIFA World Cup being hosted here supporting entrepreneurship is very Business Incubators Fintech next year, and the end of the blockade at the important, because it is the fuel for tomorbeginning of this one,” Dr. Villegas-Mateos row’s growth,” he explained. “Entrepreneurnoted. “Nevertheless, the COVID-19 ship serves as an important vehicle for pandemic has impacted the country as it has economic and social prosperity by improving the rest of the world, and it has delayed some productivity and economic competitiveness, growth plans for economic development. I and for this reason, cooperation between can see that business incubators and participants is essential to acquire and diffuse accelerators in Qatar are struggling to find knowledge in the creation of knowledgegood ideas and entrepreneurs to participate based economies.” qatar.exed.hec.edu
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