Muscat – The Research and Innovation Authority (RIA) is developing a national digital platform, Oman Innovates, to serve as the virtual arm of the sultanate’s National Innovation System, linking innovators with services, funding and institutional support to bring ideas to market. Najwa bint Mohammed al Rashdi of RIA said the platform will connect innovators across […]

Muscat – The Research and Innovation Authority (RIA) is developing a national digital platform, Oman Innovates, to serve as the virtual arm of the sultanate’s National Innovation System, linking innovators with services, funding and institutional support to bring ideas to market.

Najwa bint Mohammed al Rashdi of RIA said the platform will connect innovators across Oman with an integrated ecosystem enabling them to transform creative ideas into competitive products for global markets. It will also link them with government and private institutions already active in the innovation sector.

She said the platform will provide training and mentorship, intellectual property registration, and access to investment opportunities. The platform’s visual identity has been launched, while work is under way to complete the website ahead of its full launch.

Najwa noted that Oman has introduced a National Innovation Strategy and established its first science park — the Muscat Innovation Complex — spanning 540,000sqm. The complex is set to become a central hub for research, development and innovation.

The complex focuses on priority sectors including energy, health, food, biotechnology, water and the environment, in addition to advanced cross-cutting technologies. It is open to domestic and foreign investment, offering incentives to attract investors.

The site currently hosts specialised prototyping centres under the Oman Makers initiative, a Centre of Excellence for Advanced Technologies and the Internet of Things equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, and a dedicated science incubator for incubation and accelerator programmes. These facilities support innovation teams and help convert real-world challenges into promising investment opportunities.

Najwa highlighted RIA’s collaboration with academic and private sector institutions to strengthen the national innovation ecosystem. One of its flagship initiatives, the Strategic Research Programme for government entities, has recorded notable growth in recent years as research culture within public institutions has strengthened. This has resulted in a rise in research proposals addressing practical challenges, undertaken in cooperation with academic researchers and jointly funded by RIA and beneficiary entities.

She also pointed to the Ejaad programme targeting industry and the private sector. Through the Ejaad platform, industrial firms submit operational challenges that are assessed and referred to academic institutions, which in turn propose research-based solutions. The programme has helped align academic research with industrial needs and operates on a membership model, recently expanded to include SMEs.

In 2025, the first phase of a programme to establish and empower innovation centres in academic institutions was implemented, with two universities selected under the establishment track and three under the empowerment track. The initiative aims to equip universities and colleges with incubators, prototyping laboratories and technology transfer offices managed by qualified teams.