Technology Upgradation and Skill Development Company (Tusdec) is planning to set up Federal Institute of Materials and Homologation (FIMH) in Gujranwala to assist industry in getting their products qualified and certified for exports to the quality conscious markets of the United States and the European Union.
Chairman, Tusdec, Manzar Shamim said here on Sunday that most of the Pakistani engineered goods, presently suffering problems in entering the American and European markets due to lack of required certification.
He said that plans were afoot to revitalise the currently import dominated electronics industry by setting up a fully equipped 'Teaching Factory' capable of providing industry with the modern manufacturing and assembly techniques to allow them to compete with imports as well as allow them to solve 'economy of scale' problems.
He hoped that local companies and large trading houses would step forward to join hands with Tusdec to put Pakistan on the 'Electronics Map'.
Manzar Shamim said that Tusdec was also proposing to the government for the establishment of an Industrial Technology Upgradation Fund. This fund, when established, would facilitate an industrial entrepreneur to acquire the targeted technologies and skills.
Manzar Shamim said that Tusdec has successfully launched six projects in various parts of the country at an estimated cost of Rs 2.464 billion for up gradation of technology and skill development with an objective to make Pakistan's industry internationally competitive.
"These projects have successfully commenced their operations and are contributing to the national development through the activities of technology up gradation and skill development," he said.
Sohail Ahmed Chief Executive Officer, (Tusdec) said that Karachi Tools, Dies and Moulds Centre (KTDMC) had been set up at a cost of Rs 450 million, adding that the centre, which became operational in August this year, would help enhance technical skills of the engineering goods business segment primarily associated with automotive industry for the manufacture of moulds for plastic parts, tools for metal casting, plastic, dies for metalworking and rubber, glass, ceramic molded products and sheet metal work.
Such tools are used by the engineering industry ranging from home appliances to automobiles, for the manufacture of surgical goods, plastic injection molded components, consumer electronics, home appliances and especially automotive parts, he added.
Sohail Ahmad said that the project is now geared up to train 550 students annually and would be a state-of-the-art common facility centre for the industries in Karachi.
He said that Tusdec has also planned to set-up eight Skill Development Centres (SDCs) in earthquake affected areas at a cost of Rs 200 million.
The focus of SDCs is on reviving and replacing the victims' lost skills in augmenting the existing local skills in the fields of construction, furniture manufacturing, tourism and hospitality while involving them in the rehabilitation of the quake-hit areas.
Two centres have been completed in Batagram and have received warm response from local community with 300 registrations in the first batch of courses. These are free of cost courses in 14 different trades and disciplines. The other places selected for SDCs are Khaki (Mansehra-NWFP) and Bagh and Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir.