Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday inaugurated Pakistan’s first National Science and Technology Park (NSTP), at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), according to a news source.
Other senior officials who attended the inauguration ceremony included Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa (also the chairman of the NUST board of governors), industry representatives, diplomats, and the park’s tenants, both local and international.
Speaking at the occasion, PM Khan said that the government was set on turning Pakistan into a knowledge-based economy. He expostulated that the progress of a country was the sum of its research, innovation, technological edge, and intellectual capital, and that there was no space for antiquated systems of economic progress. Khan further emphasised on the need to focus on the science and technology sector, in order to help the country make progress.
This NSTP is part of the overarching ‘Innovate Pakistan’ theme, a platform which has been launched to bring together researchers, academics, investors, creators, implementers, and users of these technologies. This programme will also promote entrepreneurship and youth employment in Pakistan.
The park’s tenants include formidable names such as APIMatic from New Zealand, Rapidex from the United Arab Emirates, Alpha Squad, Jhpiego and Chemonics from the United States, Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc, Hytera Communications Co from China, ABB from Switzerland, NLC Smart Solutions, and Pharmatech Pakistan.
