University Industry Linkages: from innovation to application. The second wave of industrial revolution that originated from the Innovation Big Bang of the second World War (1939-1945) has intertwined education, innovation and markets. In reality, the present day businesses and industries are compelled to fall back on universities and educational institutions on a continuous basis.
There are two basic models that describe this relationship: A technological-push model (linear model) and a market-pull model (an interactive model) as explained below:
(Source: Basil Blackwell & Samual Eilon, the Global Challenge of Innovation, Butterworth Heinemann, 1991)Since the economic development of today is driven primarily by the market forces, the interactive model applies to us. Hence, NUST is trying to create the infrastructure that helps integrate the efforts of university, industry and budding entrepreneurs.
We realise that the primary mission of universities is the pursuit of excellence in teaching and research. However, what good is a university if its graduates cannot fit well into the job requisites of the industry and businesses outside, and its research does not contribute to the economy and society. Likewise, if industry does not interact with universities, it will continue to receive employees who are not developed for its requirement.
A technology park provides an interface between business and academia. It houses R&D establishments and offices of various companies, financial institutions, venture capitalists, angel investors and consultant organisations.
They understand market needs and assign research topics/ themes to the university faculty. They also provide corporate advisory to the university faculty for curriculum development some of the universities abroad have technology parks spread over hundreds of acres and buildings covering over a million square feet. NUST has earmarked 40-50 acres for its technology park at its upcoming new campus at Sector H-12, Islamabad and is looking forward to investors who can join us to develop it.
A business/technology incubation centre (TIC) helps in the growth of budding entrepreneurs. Out of the four ages in the product life-cycle namely start up, expansion, maturity and decline, TIC houses a company during the start-up age of its product. All businesses are small in this age and all start-up companies need financial support and mentoring / counselling.
They may also require product fabrication and development facilities. NUST TIC will be equipped with the necessary lab facilities. With its state-of-the-art cyber support infrastructure and access to over 23,000 e-journals and 45,000 e-books, NUST TIC will provide ideal enabling environment for its incubatees. Needless to say that NUST will provide 100% backup power to all its institution including TIC.
Dr Abid Ghumman, the Group CEO of NUST commercial company, named S T Ventures (STV), has over 40 years of corporate experience and his last assignment was Vice President Chrysler Motors, USA. Under his able guidance TIC, STV and NUST Technology Park will, Inshallah, grow with leaps and bounds.
We can innovate in labs and we will now offer our innovations to the industry. We understand that by this route only, our university will not only create knowledge but also wealth for our nation. NUST is leading in education and research; it will now lead in building university-industry linkages.
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