ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) President, Muhammad Ahmed Waheed Saturday stressed the importance of strong industry-academia linkages for commercialization of innovative business ideas of students in order to improve the industrial development and economic growth of the country.
Muhammad Ahmed Waheed along with Malik Sohail Hussain, Chief Coordinator UBG FPCCI, called on Rector National University of Science & Technology (NUST) Lieutenant General (retd) Naweed Zaman, HI (M) and discussed with him the importance of strong industry-academia linkages. Admiral (retd) Dr Nassar Ikram HI(M), Pro-Rector (Research, Innovation and Commercialization) NUST, was also present at the occasion.
Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that in this age of knowledge economy where technologies are growing rapidly, industries are increasingly relying on technology based solutions of their various problems. He said that universities being the hub of research and development activities should play an enhanced role in finding out innovative solutions of the key issues of industry and the society at large.
He emphasized that universities should focus on applied research to accelerate industrial development. He said that over 60 percent of the population of Pakistan comprise youth and universities should focus on fostering entrepreneurship in students to make them job creators instead of job seekers.
He appreciated the efforts of NUST for providing quality education to students in various disciplines and hoped that close collaboration between ICCI and NUST would yield beneficial results for students and industry.
Speaking at the occasion, Lieutenant General (retd) Naweed Zaman and Admiral (retd) Dr Nassar Ikram said that universities could help in improving the productivity, efficiency and competitiveness of industry with strong academia-industry linkages.
They said that research departments of universities are conducting good research in various fields, but due to lack of coordination, local industry is not benefiting from such efforts. They urged that industry should share its problems with universities so that academia could find out their best solutions.
They told the president ICCI about the initiatives of the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) of NUST that is working actively in different fields of research, design and development and facilitating the innovation and commercialization of research outputs.
