The Directorate of Science and Technology (DoST) in collaboration with University of Engineering and Technology (UET) will set up the design facilitation and training centre with an aim to train the engineers and professionals in the entrepreneurship and business development skills.
The centre will establish linkages with the industry while engaging them in solving the real life problems of local industry. The DoST organised a one-day orientation seminar here on Tuesday to look into the possibilities of establishing the centre with experts from local industry, SMEDA, Chamber of Commerce, NUST and UET who shared their thoughts.
The Vice Chancellor of UET Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, who was the chief guest said in his opening remarks, that in the past we had only focus on importing technology and considered as we were doing the industrialisation in our country.
"Real development is based on how we are quick to respond to the demands of industry and what solutions we offer for the local problems. There is an urgent need to train and involve the engineers in entrepreneurship skills to strengthen an industrial base," he added.
Director DoST Major Riaz Khan informed that the Ministry of Science and Technology has aimed to promote the industry by providing trained and skilled manpower. Javed Khattak, provincial chief SMEDA informed that there were in total seventeen small and large/medium enterprises in the province out of which seven were large/medium enterprise estates. Only three of those were functional, four were non-functional due to the lack of basic infrastructure.
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had a tremendous potential in minerals, furniture, pharmaceutical, horticulture and carpet making. He said SMEDA was active in establishing "Carpet Nagar" in the province. He stressed the need that academia, industry and government work jointly in developing the trained manpower and asked the provincial government for the provision of basic infrastructure so that the industrial base could be expanded.
Engineer Nauman Wazir, Managing Director, Frontier Foundation Steel said that engineers play main role in the progress of local industry. If engineers are trained in the entrepreneurship skills, they would be able to design products that suite the local needs of industrialists. He assured his co-operation in building up the base. Dr Abid Ghuman, Director NUST also spoke on the occasion.