HK SCHOLAR HELPS LEAD QATAR’S TECH DRIVE
An impromptu stopover in Doha led Jack Lau, an adjunct professor at HKUST, to be named as president of technology park in the oil-rich state
During a business trip to Brazil last year, Hong Kong businessman and professor Jack Lau was invited by a friend to make an impromptu stopover in Qatar to deliver a talk on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Little did Lau, an adjunct professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), know that his sell-out lecture at the Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha about “an innovative science park” would alter his career as an entrepreneur.
The 55-year-old Hongkonger was appointed president of the Qatar Science and Technology Park in February to help the oil-rich country “play a pivotal role … as a hub of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in the region”, according to an announcement of his appointment after an extensive selection and interview process.
The move marks a significant milestone: Lau is the first nonQatari to lead the technology park since its establishment two decades ago. The park is funded by the Qatar Foundation, which is chaired by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Missned, the mother of the current emir.
“As a Chinese and Asian, I want to connect with talented individuals who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship,” said Lau, who has more than 25 years of experience and a wealth of expertise spanning technology, academia and entrepreneurship, including a track record of leading sustainable ventures across various domains.
The technology park was envisioned as a driving force for technological innovation, translating research in Qatar into commercial products and contributing to Qatar’s aspirations of becoming a knowledge-based economy, Lau said in an interview during a trip to Hong Kong and the mainland.
Although Lau was not required to bring in Hong Kong or mainland start-ups as part of his performance targets, at least five such companies had committed to establishing their research centres in the park, including some unicorns, he said.
“Many Chinese technology start-ups have overlooked these valuable opportunities,” Lau said. “If we set aside the cultural and social etiquette difference in Qatar, and focus solely on the country’s determination and resources, this becomes a valuable opportunity. I am on the ground to support them.”
His appointment comes as officials in Hong Kong and Beijing turn their focus to opportunities in the Middle East amid economic diversification and technological development in the region and heightened geopolitical tensions between China and the West.
During his trip to the mainland last week, Lau met several tech leaders, including Wang Jiwu, chairman of Tus-Holdings, which previously operated the Tsinghua University Science Park Development Centre. He was also invited to visit Davinci Motor, a Beijing-based developer of electric motorcycles.
Lau studied electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California in Berkeley and worked at Hewlett-Packard and Schlumberger before continuing his postdoctoral research at Stanford.
He co-founded Perception Digital, an electronics design company focused on digital signal processors, and listed the firm on Hong Kong’s GEM board in late 2009. The company moved to the main board in 2011.
In July last year, Lau was appointed as a member of the listing committee at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing on a oneyear tenure. He decided not to extend his role to focus on his new journey in Qatar.
His open-ended contract is based on an ongoing relationship with the park, whose board members include Qatar University president Hassan al-Derham, Qatar Development Bank CEO Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa, Qatar Electricity and Water general manager Fahad bin Hamad al-Mohannadi, and Qatar Petroleum Research and Technology Centre manager Dr Nasser S. al-Mohannadi.
Lau expects more opportunities for start-ups to flourish under Qatar’s National Vision 2030, which calls for a diversified economy that reduces dependence on hydrocarbon industries, investments in higher education and research, and an increased focus on the private sector economy.
The technology park is currently home to more than 40 multinational companies, including General Electric, Microsoft, Siemens, Shell, ExxonMobil, Maersk and Qatar Petroleum.
Many Chinese … start-ups have overlooked these valuable opportunities JACK LAU, HEAD OF QATAR’S TECH PARK