CIIT with the support of ECOSF, MoST, COMSTECH, IDB and INSTP organized a three-day International Workshop on Techno-Parks: Opportunity to seize a lever of competitiveness from January 30-February 01, 2018

Go Back

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) Islamabad- Pakistan in collaboration with ECO Science Foundation (ECOSF), Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of Pakistan; COMSTECH; Islamic Development Bank and Inter-Islamic Network on Science Technology Parks (INSTP), Iran organized a three-day International Workshop on Techno-Parks: Opportunity to seize a lever of competitiveness, at CIIT Islamabad abad from January 30 – February 01, 2018. The inaugural ceremony of the International Workshop was opened by Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar, Rector CIIT. He welcomed the participants, and highlighted the progress and standing of CIIT and its ranking as university.
President ECOSF Prof. Dr. Manzoor H. Soomro in his address emphasized over importance of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Parks and called for developing effective linkages and collaboration for development of STI parks to achieve socio-economic development and inclusive growth in the region.
H.E. Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Science and Technology was the Chief Guest in the event. H.E Rana Tanveer Hussain said that developing quality human resource will be important to change the future of our country. He underscored that S&T sector is an engine of growth and Government of Pakistan is putting all its effort uplift S&T sector as its one of top priority. Dr. Shaukat Hameed Khan Coordinator General COMSTECH also spoke during the event.from January 30 – February 01, 2018. The workshop was attended by over 25 participants including 8 international participants from 6 different countries. The main focus of this workshop was to exchange and sharing of good practices for the development and management of Science and Technology Parks (STPs) and Incubators in the Islamic World.

Techno-Parks are immensely important in stimulating a culture of science and innovation particularly in developing countries. Governments seeking competitive advantage in industrial innovation, from around the world are taking keen interest in developing these ‘Science and Technology Parks’ or ‘Techno-Parks’. These Parks can support an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation, and are a subject of interest for public policy makers around the world, bringing together Industry and Academia. Spill overs from these parks can help upgrade service and industrial capacity and bring value to the regional economy.

Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar, Rector CIIT opened the international workshop and welcomed the participants. Prof. Qamar said academic institutions must put in their efforts to create knowledge that is directly applicable to the society because only those nations would achieve sustainable development who invest in STI sector and create knowledge. He said we need to provide a platform through Techno-Parks and bring entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and academia to boost economic development in the region.

President ECOSF Prof. Dr. Manzoor H. Soomro in his keynote address emphasized over importance of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Parks and called for developing effective linkages and collaboration for development of STI parks to achieve socio-economic development and inclusive growth in the region. Prof. Dr. Soomro appreciated the efforts of appreciative of the efforts of partnering organizations for organizing this international workshop to disseminate and share the most recent innovations, trends, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted in the field of STI Parks management and development. Prof. Soomro also shared that initiatives undertaken by ECOSF to promote STI Capacity Building through establishing effective linkages and collaborations with leading STI parks in the ECO region and beyond.  There is a significant potential for promotion of innovative ecosystem, development and management of S&T Parks in the ECO region, he said.

H.E. Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Science and Technology was the Chief Guest in the event. H.E Rana Tanveer Hussain said that developing the quality human resource will be important to change the future of our country. He underscored that S&T sector is an engine of growth and Government of Pakistan is putting all its effort to uplift S&T sector as its one of top priority. He appreciated the efforts of ECOSF and other partnering organization for their support in organizing this workshop. Dr. Shaukat Hameed Khan Coordinator General COMSTECH also spoke during the event.

Engr. Khalil Raza Scientific Officer ECOSF also participated in the workshop. The workshop comprised of technical presentations and interactive session focusing on fundamentals of Techno-Parks development and management. Workshop was conducted by Engr. Nejib Abdia who is currently a CEO of SFax Technopark in Tunisia. During the workshop, issues and challenges related to the optimal development and operational structure of Techno-Parks were discussed. Participants exchanged the best practices through the exploration of case studies from the region and beyond. The role of STPs and incubators in supporting smart specialization strategies were also discussed. Workshop explored the different models for STPs and incubator development and financing as well as management. Mr. Najeb Abida also highlighted the role that various stakeholders, both private and public (industry, academia, government, the investment community, etc.) to create technology based solutions that can accelerate local economic development and drive regional competitiveness.