About the CSIRD Program
Qatar’s national facilitator of cyber security R&D and innovation
The CSIRD Program is established to facilitate, coordinate, and monitor progress of cyber security innovation, research, and development initiatives in Qatar, aiming to advance the Country’s capabilities and leadership across CSIRD areas.
The Program connects and supports CSIRD stakeholders, and drives the national-level efforts and strategic interventions needed to strengthen Qatar’s CSIRD ecosystem and position the Country as a regional and international CSIRD hub.
The CSIRD activities are essential for Qatar to increase self-reliance through local talent and home-grown solutions, while continuing to adopt global innovation through international vendors and partners.
Aligned with the Qatar’s National Cyber Security Strategy
The CSIRD Program is part of the Qatar’s National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS), scoped to align with NCSS Pillar 3 as a foundation for building a thriving cyber industry.
Program Objectives
Drive a coordinated effort on cyber security R&D and innovation aligned with both market needs and national security priorities.
Promote sustainable investments so Qatar becomes a Cyber Security Innovation Hub, bringing highly innovative technologies, solutions and products to the cyber security market.
Encourage investments to sustain the development of a national cyber security industry and to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Program Mission
The Program’s key commitments
Guiding Principles
CSIRD Program follows five guiding principles
Enable
Remove barriers and enable participation.
Support
Fill the gaps and enable sustained efforts.
Connect
Build bridges to foster collaboration.
Promote
Celebrate success and motivate CS innovation.
Align
Scope CSIRD initiatives and activities to align with NCSS objectives.
The Framework
CSIRD Ecosystem components
The foundations of the CSIRD Program and its strategy are based on the ecosystem factors that are essential for supporting research and innovation activities. They include Human Capital, Funding, Infrastructure, Demand, Culture & Incentives, Regulatory Frameworks, and Coordination & Partnerships.
The development of an effective CSIRD ecosystem requires initiatives that address gaps and barriers within each of the foundational components.
The Program’s strategy and implementation plan focus on a set of issues and strategic goals to strengthen the Qatar's CSIRD ecosystem and enable development of Qatar as a CSIRD Hub.
ECOSYSTEM COMPONENT · 01
Human Capital
Harness the appropriate human talent with relevant education, training and experience for research and entrepreneurship.
Excellence in Cyber Security (CS) Higher Education, Research & Innovation
Advance educational programs and research capabilities in CS
Establish applied CS programs and courses with industry
Provide international scholarships and exchange programs, and support international research
Effective Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in Cyber Security innovation and research advances
Offer CPD programs on advances in CS to industry and Government
Provide information and advice to the Government for adoption of CS innovation
Best-in-class employment practices
Ensure competitive compensation and benefits
Ensure talent attraction and retention through appealing professional pathways and growth opportunities.
ECOSYSTEM COMPONENT · 02
Funding
Enable a variety of capital to support research from ideas to mature technologies and entrepreneurship from start-up to scale-up.
Effective Financial Support for CSIRD
Establish effective processes to secure and prioritize CSRID funding to meet Qatar strategic CS goals
Impactful Funding for CS Research and Development
Ensure that there are dedicated and flexible CS academic grants
Impactful Funding for Early-Stage CS Enterprises
Drive entrepreneurship & investment in CS
CS Research Strategy Group (RSG). Identifies research funding needs through regular gap analysis, monitoring, and feedback.
Innovation Strategy Group (ISG). Assesses commercialization readiness of CS technologies and funding needs for business incubation. Advocates for funds to establish CS dedicated incubators and accelerators.
ECOSYSTEM COMPONENT · 03
Computing Infrastructure
Develop infrastructure to support research, development, and entrepreneurship across innovation stages, including labs, equipment, and reliable supply chains.
State-of-the-Art Infrastructure for Advanced CSIRD Activities
Secure dedicated computing and storage infrastructure and service
Coordinated Use of the Infrastructure across CSIRD Stakeholders
Establish governance framework and policies
Coordinated and Secure Use of Data for CSIRD Activities
Provide framework and mechanisms for registering and sharing data
CSIRD Infrastructure Management Group. Comprises representatives from key CS stakeholder groups. Collects and analyzes infrastructure requirements and budget needs for advanced research and innovation activities. Monitors and manages the infrastructure capacity and allocation to specific research and innovation activities.
Ecosystem component · 04
Demand
Foster demand for research and entrepreneurship and strengthen the local market for innovative CS solutions.
Common Understanding and Awareness of Shared Needs for Innovative CS Solutions across Government Entities
Facilitate collaboration and prioritization of emerging CS issues and innovative solutions
Effective Procurement Process for CS Innovative Solutions
Optimize government procurement for participation of early-stage enterprises with innovative CS solutions
Diverse private and public investments.
Incentivize industry and private sector investment in applied R&D and early-stage enterprises.
Ecosystem component · 05
Culture & Incentives
Promote research excellence and entrepreneurial role models to create a societal appreciation and a mindset towards ambitious career choices in CS.
Cultural Change towards Ambitious CS Research Careers and Risk-Taking in CS Entrepreneurship
Encourage CS experts to pursue ambitious research agenda and boost impactful CS enterprises through knowledge and technology transfer
Societal Appreciation of CSIRD in Supporting Qatar's National Sovereignty
Support individuals and organizations in promoting societal value of CSIRD
Strong Incentives for Involvement and Contribution of CSIRD Professional Women.
Promote women achievements in CSIRD and their socio-economic impact.
Ecosystem component · 06
Regulatory Frameworks
Establish the legislation and regulations for a vibrant CSIRD ecosystem.
Secure and Well-Regulated Data Sharing Practices among CSIRD Stakeholders
Facilitate secure and efficient sharing of data across sectors for CSIRD advances
Innovation Supportive CS Laws and Policies
Monitor CS laws and policies to identify and address potential barriers for innovative CSIRD
Internationally aligned CS Laws, Policies, and Practices.
Monitor and assess national alignment with international standards and laws.
Ecosystem component · 07
Coordination & Partnerships
Promote coordination of cross-sector CSIRD collaborations and international partnerships.
Effective CSIRD Program
Establish CSIRD Program coordination
Strong Collaborations across CSIRD Innovation Lifecycle
Organize forums for connecting CSRID stakeholders
Strategic CSIRD Partnerships and International Recognition.
Identify opportunities for international partnerships and collaborations.
Contributors & Collaborators
CSIRD Stakeholders
CSIRD Program is shaped by contributions from the key CSIRD stakeholder groups in Qatar who are an integral part of the CSIRD ecosystem and instrumental for the development of the CSIRD Hub.
Key Stakeholder Groups
Academic Institutions. CS education, academic research, and institutes
Industry & Critical Infrastructure. Users of CS technologies and investors in CS innovation
CS Research Centers. Foundational and applied CS research, technology & knowledge transfer
CS Vendors & Solution Providers. Suppliers and integrators of CS solutions
Incubators & Accelerators. Incubation of CS businesses and support for early-stage enterprises
Government Entities & Regulatory Bodies. Users, funders, and regulators of CSIRD practices and CS solutions
Investors & Funders. Supporting research, incubation, acceleration, and scale-up of CS enterprises
International Partners & CS Standards Organizations. CSIRD partners in research, innovation and commercialization
