News
The Technology Powering Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022
A series of technology firsts will help make the World Cup a more immersive event for football fans, boost Qatar’s sustainability credentials, and help to keep the scorching heat at bay.

Qatar is the smallest nation to host a World Cup tournament, and it’s also the first Middle Eastern country with the same honor. As well as being notable as an “out of season” event, the FIFA World Cup 2022 will also feature several technological innovations.
Here are some of the more exciting examples we’ve unearthed so far:
Robo-Ref
The most notable feature of Qatar 2022 will likely be the high-tech match balls, which have been upgraded with FIFA’s “Semi-Automated Offside Technology”, an enhanced version of existing VAR systems (video assistant referees).
The official ball of the tournament is called “Al Rihla” (Arabic for “The Journey”) and is packed with the latest Adidas Suspension System, which can log its position on the pitch at a staggering 500 times per second. Each venue will be installed with 12 dedicated cameras to monitor the ball position and 29 points of each player’s body, with AI processing data in real time.
As well as helping with contentious match decisions, the new technology will also be used to create dynamic replay animations that can be displayed during broadcasts, or on the big screens of the event’s stadiums.
Advanced Stadium-Cooling
The temperatures of a Qatari summer are no joke at the best of times, and could prove debilitating for spectators and potentially deadly for pro footballers.
Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani from Qatar University‘s College of Engineering has come up with an answer that mimics how a car’s air-con system works. The ingenious invention uses a mixture of insulation and “targeted cooling” through grills in the stands and nozzles on the pitch. The result is improved air circulation, which can be filtered, cooled to 18 degrees Celsius, and pushed back into the stadium.
The technology is thought to be up to 40% more sustainable than a traditional cooling system. It only needs to be used two hours before an event, reducing energy consumption considerably over conventional methods. Along with high-tech retractable roofing, Dr. Saud hopes that stadiums around the globe will eventually adopt his inventions.
A Lego-Style Stadium
The Lusail Iconic Stadium is undoubtedly the most prestigious venue of the FIFA World Cup 2022 event. However, another stadium at Ras Abu Aboud, known as “Stadium 974,” takes the prize for ingenuity.
Qatar’s government was keen to avoid building venues that were of limited appeal to the community after the event had finished. To that end, Stadium 974 is the first collapsible venue to feature in the World Cup, being constructed from repurposed shipping containers.
The 974 containers (hence the name) have been modified to hold seating, bathrooms, and every other element of a stadium, with the intention that they can either be rebuilt into several smaller venues or sent overseas for future events.
According to FIFA, the Stadium 974 concept brings a new level of sustainability to football stadium design. However, it should be noted that the vast Lusail Iconic Stadium will also eventually be repurposed as the centerpiece of a new metropolis to be known as Lusail City. The stadium’s infrastructure is set to be converted into a community space, with schools, shops, cafés, sporting facilities, and health clinics.
News
Vernewell UK: Forging The Future Of Intelligence, Quantum, And AI
Explore Vernewell UK, an innovative initiative launched at the Quantum Innovation Summit 2025, integrating quantum science and AI to transform education and industry.

From a decade of disruption to a new dawn of innovation the greatest revolutions are not born from mere advancements in technology, but from visionaries who refuse to accept the limits of the present and challenge the status quo. For over a decade, Malak Trabelsi Loeb has been that force — a relentless pioneer, a strategist, and an architect of the future. She built her legacy by transforming industries before they even recognized the need to evolve. In space governance, she fought for sustainability when few were thinking beyond conquest. In deep tech and national security, she was a driving force behind many national and international legal and policy frameworks that now shape the digital age. And in quantum technologies, she didn’t just join the conversation — she ignited the movement.
Under her leadership, Vernewell Group, redefined how the Middle East engages with disruptive technologies, setting in motion initiatives that propelled quantum and AI into boardrooms, government policies, and industrial strategies. She built platforms of influence — the Quantum Innovation Summit, QInnovision Consortium, the Quantum Technology Adoption Program (QTAP) — that transformed theoretical breakthroughs into actionable solutions for industries worldwide. But revolutions do not stop. They expand. They demand new frontiers.
We witnessed the launch of Vernewell UK — an initiative integrating quantum science, AI, and cognitive research to drive innovation in education, research, and industry transformation — during the closing remarks of the Quantum Innovation Summit 2025. Let’s explore what this milestone entails and the impact it aims to create
A Historic Announcement At The Quantum Innovation Summit 2025
Beyond a mere expansion, Vernewell UK represents the convergence of quantum science, AI, and cognitive research into a force that will shape the global industrial, academic, and policy landscapes. It was not just an announcement — it was the unveiling of a new era of intelligence-driven transformation.
Standing alongside her was Dr. Selma Dundar-Coecke, a leader in cognitive science and the revolutionary mind behind the pedagogical frameworks that will define the institution’s future. As Vernewell UK’s CEO, Selma took the stage to unveil the scientific foundation of an educational and research model that will challenge conventional learning, workforce development, and knowledge dissemination in QIST, AI, and beyond.
Together, Malak and Selma pressed the button that set a paradigm shift in motion. As the world celebrated International Women’s Day, Vernewell UK stood as a testament to women who are not just participating in the conversation, but defining the future of intelligence-driven societies. This is not just an expansion of knowledge, it’s the dawn of a new intelligence era, empowered by high technology.
Vernewell UK: A Strategic Powerhouse Bridging Knowledge, Industry, And Human Intelligence
Oxford — a city that has shaped human knowledge for centuries — is now home to an institution that will redefine the intersection of quantum science, AI, and cognitive research.
Vernewell UK is not just a research center, nor a think tank — it’s a science-driven industrial force of transformation.
Its purpose? The driving force shaping economies, industries, and societies is Quantum Information Sciences (QIST), AI, and cognitive intelligence — the most disruptive sciences of our time. With this enterprise, they no longer remain theoretical fields.
Vernewell UK will accomplish this by building on four pillars of impact:
- Cutting-edge research and policy frameworks in QIST, AI, and cognitive sciences, ensuring that these fields are not only understood but actively harnessed for global progress.
- Transformative education and workforce development, bridging the gap between scientific breakthroughs and real-world applications in business, governance, and industry.
- The Academy of Emerging Sciences and Art (AESA) — a pioneering initiative merging quantum, AI, cognitive science, and the arts to reimagine how knowledge is cultivated, applied, and scaled.
- Industry and strategic consultancy, ensuring that businesses, governments, and institutions are not just aware of quantum and AI — but leading its integration into the fabric of economies.
The mission is clear: To lead, to shape, and to accelerate the future of intelligence-driven societies.
And behind this mission stand two visionary leaders whose expertise makes it possible.
A Partnership Designed To Shape The Future
Malak Trabelsi Loeb: Architect Of Quantum, AI, And Deep Tech Strategy
Few leaders can claim to have designed the very frameworks that industries now rely upon.
For over a decade, Malak has been at the helm of space and deep tech disruption, ensuring that quantum, AI, and advanced technologies are not just theoretical advancements but industrial realities.
She has positioned herself as a global force in NewSpace sustainability and commercial development, quantum strategy, governance, and industrial transformation, bringing together policymakers, researchers, and corporate leaders to shape the technologies that will define the next century.
With Vernewell UK, she is extending this mission — ensuring that the world’s most advanced fields of knowledge are not just understood but strategically deployed across industries.
“The world is not waiting for the future — it’s demanding it. Vernewell UK is the bridge between knowledge and application, between vision and reality. We are not just preparing for the next era — we are building it,” says Malak Trabelsi Loeb.
Dr. Selma Dündar-Coecke: Revolutionizing Learning In The Age Of Quantum & AI
For years, Dr. Selma Dündar-Coecke has led the charge in understanding the deepest frontiers of intelligence — both human and artificial. Her groundbreaking research in cognitive science, neuroscience, and educational AI has transformed how learning, problem-solving, and intelligence development are approached in the era of quantum and AI.
As a key figure in the development of Quantum Picturalism, in collaboration with Oxford University, IBM, Quantinuum, and City University London, she has pioneered new pedagogical methods for teaching quantum at scale.
At Vernewell UK, she will lead a mission to redefine how knowledge is structured, ensuring that quantum and AI education evolves beyond its traditional confines into a dynamic, accessible, and scalable force for the workforce of tomorrow.
“At VUK, we are shaping the future by bridging innovation, knowledge, and collaboration. Through cutting-edge research, transformative learning, and strategic partnerships, we empower individuals and industries to thrive in the evolving landscapes of QIST, AI, cognition, arts, and beyond,” says Dr. Selma Dundar-Coecke.
Selma added “Oxford has long been a city where knowledge reshapes the world, a place where intellectual revolutions take root and redefine the course of history. Now, it’s home to Vernewell UK -an institution poised to redefine the convergence of frontier technologies, intelligence systems, and human-centric innovation. We are not just shaping the future; we are transforming the very way industries, governments, and individuals engage with tomorrow’s possibilities. At Vernewell UK, our vision is clear — to lead in creating a future where innovation, knowledge, and creativity converge to solve the world’s most pressing challenges”.
Malak emphasized on the determination to advancing global progress by delivering impactful research, cutting-edge education, and actionable consultancy services. She added that “Unlike traditional research institutions or think tanks, Vernewell UK is built to drive the adoption, education, and strategic deployment of the most disruptive sciences of our time. It’s designed to act as a catalyst for innovation, ensuring that Quantum Information Sciences (QIST), AI, and cognitive sciences are not confined to academic theory but are actively shaping industries, policies, and economies”.
Through cutting-edge research, transformative learning, and strategic partnerships, Vernewell UK will serve as a convergence point for industry pioneers, researchers, and visionaries seeking to build intelligence-driven societies.
This is where industries gain the knowledge to lead, governments develop the frameworks to regulate, and the next wave of innovators learn to thrive in the intelligence era.
With Malak Trabelsi Loeb and Dr. Selma Dundar-Coecke at the helm, Vernewell UK is not just another institution — it’s a force that will shape how knowledge is harnessed, how industries adapt, and how societies evolve in the quantum age.
Join Vernewell UK In Shaping The Future Of Intelligence, Technology, And Innovation
- Are you an enterprise seeking to harness quantum and AI for strategic advantage?
- An academic institution or researcher looking for transformative collaborations?
- A policymaker or investor shaping the frameworks of tomorrow’s digital economy?
Vernewell UK invites you to co-create, collaborate, and lead the next frontier of intelligence-driven societies.
Be part of a global ecosystem driving innovation and shaping future economies.
To explore how Vernewell UK can empower your journey, reach out at [email protected].