A hybrid webinar was organized on November 5 to discuss important developments and future applications of Artificial Intelligence and Precision Medicine.

Experts from Sweden and Qatar participated in discussions regarding this subject under an event that falls under the initiative of the Embassy of Sweden, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce Qatar (SCCQ), and the Swecare Foundation in partnership with the Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation (QF-RDI).

His Excellency Anders Bengtcén, the Ambassador of Sweden to Qatar, expressed his delight in this opportunity to partner with QF-RDI. He believes that the hybrid webinar will create and strengthen the networks and intellectual bridges between Qatar and Sweden in two highly important fields where both countries are devoting considerable resources and pursuing significant opportunities.

“Sweden has made significant advances and industry applications in AI and PM, which we are showcasing during this webinar; and we look forward to working together with Qatar, building on its own notable progress in these fields,” he added.

According to the Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs, Her Excellency Anna Hallberg, “Qatar has taken important initiatives to attract foreign investment through economic incentives, such as the establishment of special economic zones and excellent infrastructure. The Swedish Government lauds the new labor legislation introduced in Qatar this year. I believe these important steps put Qatar in a unique position in the region when it comes to attracting foreign investment and foreign talent.”

Vinnova (Sweden’s Innovation Agency), Karolinska Institutet (Sweden’s single largest center of medical academic research), Linköpings Universitet, and Uppsala Universitet participated in this event. Global companies present include Alfa Laval, Astra Zeneca, Elekta, Ericsson, and Volvo as well as SMEs Olink Proteomics and Independent Business Group.

QF RDI, Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council, Ministry of Public Health & Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar Science & Technology Park, Sidra Medicine, and Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar were some of the many participants who represented Qatar.

Precision Medicine is arguably the most encouraging development in healthcare today, aiming to improve healthcare outcomes and focus on prevention. 

Sweden has considerable experience in developing and implementing diverse PM solutions, while individually tailored medicine, including research and existing diagnostic methods and therapies for individualized assessment, prevention, and treatment of disease at the individual or part of the population is an integrated concept in the Swedish health care system.

Lars Hammarström, Director and Head of Division Health at Vinnova, identified quality, talent and knowledge, infrastructure, and collaboration as the four critical aspects that enable small countries like Sweden and Qatar to compete in the global race for precision health.

AI and PM are key focus areas of QF’s RDI efforts in the ICT, healthcare, environmental sustainability, and energy sectors. The Center for Artificial Intelligence at Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), part of Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Hamad Bin Khalifa University, was established to develop and promote homegrown AI technologies through research, education, and policy initiatives.

Collaboration is a pivotal element in Qatar’s PM agenda. A nation-wide collaborative research effort among government and academic research institutions was the first to investigate and identify the prevalence and genetic classification and characteristics of congenital disorders in Qatar.

QF RDI research entities – Qatar Biobank (QBB) and Qatar Genome Program (QGP), in close coordination with national stakeholders, and other QF entities like Qatar Biomedical Research Institute at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Sidra Medicine, and international partners, are jointly moving Qatar’s PM agenda forward.

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