HBKU Innovation Center Concludes First Phase of MIJHAR Program

Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) Office of Innovation and Industrial Relations (OIIR) concluded the first phase of its MIJHAR Program with an information and feedback session for members of the 11 participating projects. 

Held at HBKU’s Innovation Center Building, the session featured inputs and advice from a variety of academic and industrial stakeholders, including Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI) and Qatar Development Bank (QDB). Over the course of the 1st phase, participants attended rigorous training and mentorship activities designed to provide them with the correct foundation to understand the commercialization potential of their projects.

MIJHAR is a specialized nine-month program for HBKU’s research community that assists in moving projects from university laboratories to the commercial space. Applicants are assigned a specialized business mentor to guide them in developing their commercialization plan throughout the program. Expected outcomes are new spinoffs ready to be funded or technology licensed to existing companies. The program follows four distinct phases: Ideate; Validate; Commercialize; Graduate. 

The projects accepted for MIJHAR Cycle 1 cover medical technologies, data management solutions, power management, and oil and gas technologies. HBKU’s OIIR invites entrepreneurial-minded researchers to apply for Cycle 2 of the program by May 4, 2025, in order to acquire the support they need to bring their research projects to the market. 

Further information can be found here.