Experts discussed approaches to digital transformation at Rowad Qatar 2021

This year's edition of Qatar Entrepreneurship Conference (Rowad Qatar) 2021 highlighted ways to leverage technology and innovation in order to find solutions for a post-pandemic era.

 

The conference was held during Global Entrepreneurship Week November 8-10. Rowad Qatar 2021 is organized by Qatar Development Bank to connect entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs, enhance their entrepreneurial knowledge, exchange insights and collaborate.

 

Skolkovo representative, Corporate Innovation Director for the IT Cluster Anton Pronin attended the panel discussion “Market-lagging to Market-leading: Agile Digital Transformation for Organizational Success” alongside Jamal Bdeir, Microsoft’s Small and Medium Business Lead for the Middle East Cluster, and Buke Cuhadar, Vice President for Global Operations at the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

 

Panel discussion “Market-lagging to Market-leading: Agile Digital Transformation for Organizational Success”. Screengrab: sk.ru.

 

Panelists discussed how an integrated approach to digital transformation can help startups and bigger companies leverage their agility to develop inclusive, adaptable, and forward-thinking solutions on their journey to success. 

 

Speakers agreed that design is a vital part of digital transformation. Corporate Innovation Director for the IT Cluster at the Skolkovo Foundation Anton Pronin said such transformation puts forward new requirements for managers and strategic management tools. 

 

Anton Pronin, Corporate Innovation Director for the IT Cluster of Skolkovo Foundation. Screengrab: sk.ru.

 

“On this stage efficient collaboration with institutions such as Skolkovo is crucial. With our сorporate partners we use a number of tools to adopt innovations, for example, a design-led strategy approach that helps to react to new trends and consumer behavior in early stages, find new markets and prototype, test, and deploy new innovative products quickly", Pronin added.

 

Buke Cuhadar, Vice President for Global Operations at the Global Entrepreneurship Network, noted that many companies face a lack of trained personnel required for a digital transformation. She outlined that there is still no special education on the newest technologies, though companies tend to open their own education centers.

 

Experts summed up that a skillfully arranged implementation of smart digital technologies has the capacity to improve practically every business process and help companies to be at the forefront of innovation, increasing market share and strengthening their position.