Pathways To Growth: imec’s Max Mirgoli On The Belgium-Based Research Institute’s Qatar Expansion
"What distinguishes Qatar from other markets is its rapid development trajectory and ambition to become a global technology hub.”
At the Mobile World Congress Doha in November last year, imec, the Belgium-based global leader in nanoelectronics and digital innovation, announced its plans to launch a regional research and development (R&D) hub in Qatar. The hub, which will be located at the Qatar Science and Technology Park, is being designed to accelerate digital transformation across the Middle East.
Founded in Belgium, imec is a world-leading research and innovation hub focused on advanced semiconductor and digital technologies. Operating one of the most sophisticated semiconductor R&D infrastructures globally, imec works with academic and industry partners across the full value chain to develop and commercialize next-generation chips and digital solutions. Its work spans applications from artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous mobility to life sciences, sustainable energy, smart cities, and next-generation communications.
Beyond research, imec also plays a central role in venture creation, translating frontier science into scalable startups through a structured spin-off model backed by deep technical expertise and its over EUR400 million venture fund, imec.xpand. imec’s R&D hub in Qatar will thus extend its model to the GCC, supporting the development of process design kits—critical tools for emerging technologies such as silicon photonics, 3D integrated circuits, and silicon interposers—as well as the use of generative and agent-based AI in the development of custom chips.
In an interview with Inc. Arabia, Max Mirgoli, imec’s Chief Global Development and Venturing Officer, says that Qatar’s ecosystem readiness, backed by the country’s policy direction, makes it an ideal location for the company’s latest hub. “The decision to establish a regional R&D hub in Qatar was driven by several converging factors: Qatar’s strong commitment to building a knowledge-based economy and digital transformation in the GCC countries, substantial investment in high-tech infrastructure, and an emerging focus on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship,” Mirgoli says. “Qatar’s proactive approach to developing its research and venture ecosystem, along with government-backed initiatives and initiatives to grow the deeptech talent pool, indicated readiness for not just R&D activities, but also for playing a broader role in imec’s global network.”
imec’s headquarters in Belgium.
According to Mirgoli, Qatar, fuelled by its technological ambitions, offers a unique platform for deeptech innovation. “What distinguishes Qatar from other markets is its rapid development trajectory and ambition to become a global technology hub,” he notes. “Unlike more mature markets, Qatar has a unique opportunity to shape the ecosystem from the ground up, leveraging imec’s expertise in semiconductor technologies and system design, deeptech venturing, and ecosystem building. This creates a dynamic environment for collaboration between international and local stakeholders, aligning with imec’s mission to translate research into impact worldwide.”
As such, a key pillar of imec’s Qatar hub will be venture creation, building on imec’s global track record of translating frontier research into startups and scaleups. “Imec’s primary objective in shaping the venture pipeline in Qatar is twofold: creating new imec ventures grounded in breakthrough research, while actively supporting external ventures from across the GCC,” Mirgoli says, pointing to imec’s access to a multidisciplinary network of more than 6,500 researchers from over 100 nationalities. Additionally, Mirgoli points to imec’s track record of 35 spin-offs since 2018, which boast a combined valuation of EUR500 million for its top 10 spin-offs, in addition to its three unicorns, as a testament to the model’s effectiveness. “Furthermore, imec’s lab-to-fab expertise systematically de-risks disruptive technologies and enables scalable manufacturing, positioning imec as a launchpad for impactful deeptech ventures throughout the region,” Mirgoli adds.
A look inside imec's cleanroom.
To effectively power that launchpad, imec is also nurturing semiconductor talent through internships, doctorate initiatives, and educational programs, in partnership with universities, companies, and startups, mirroring approaches that imec has used elsewhere. “We have found, for example, that dedicated master’s programs in nanotechnology can be a successful way to upskill the next generation, tackling talent shortages over the long term,” Mirgoli says. “At the same time, it is crucial that researchers and academics gain access to the latest technologies, advanced design tools, and prototyping services to gain firsthand experiences.”
In terms of the road ahead, imec’s Qatar hub aims to reach 100 employees by 2030 and become fully integrated into imec’s global R&D network, allowing researchers and engineers to co-develop shared global roadmaps, while also focusing on challenges and solutions specific to the region. This, Mirgoli stresses, will help to foster the entrepreneurial talent required to develop the deeptech ecosystem. And that process of fostering both the talent and the ecosystem around innovation, Mirgoli says, will require patience, cautioning against expecting rapid wins. “Building a world-class deep-tech ecosystem is a long-term endeavor,” he says. “Stakeholders should not expect immediate unicorns or large-scale industrialization overnight. Instead, the focus should be on creating the foundational elements, talent, infrastructure, and networks, that will enable sustained impact and competitive advantage for years to come. imec can play an enabling role for some of those focus points, through its vast global network, talent development initiatives, deep knowledge in advanced semiconductor technologies, by linking the region to our state-of-the-art infrastructure, and so on.”
At its core, imec’s expansion into Qatar reflects more than a push to advance semiconductor capabilities; rather, it signals a broader play to embed research, talent, and venture creation into the region’s economic fabric. In the near term, the Qatar hub offers companies and startups access to world-class infrastructure, advanced design tools, and clear pathways from lab to market. Over the longer horizon, it positions imec as a catalytic partner in building resilient innovation ecosystems, where deep research, entrepreneurial talent, and patient capital converge to create sustained technological and economic value. In that sense, imec’s presence in Qatar is as much about shaping the future of innovation in the GCC as it is about the technologies themselves.
Pictured in the lead image is Max Mirgoli, imec’s Chief Global Development and Venturing Officer. All images are courtesy of imec.
This article first appeared in Inc. Arabia's Special Edition for Web Summit Qatar in February 2026. To read the full issue online, click here.
