Al Jazeera launches innovation unit

Qatar-based news broadcaster Al Jazeera has launched an Innovation and Research Group, which the company says will explore and create concepts, products and ideas “at the intersection of media, technology and popular culture”.

The group will build a network of innovators in technology and media, to be grown via a series of conferences, local events, publications and community building platforms, including a planned “Hackathon” later this year.

The new group will function as the research and development arm of Al Jazeera, and will engage with the online community via a new Twitter account on twitter.com/aljazeeraIR and a blog at medium.com/@aljazeeraIR.

”Our vision is to provide an ecosystem for media-focused innovation and research, with the resources and networks to incubate ideas that will change the world,” said Yaser Bishr, global executive director of strategy and development.