Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) will set up a multipurpose Textile Testing Research Centre (TTRC) in Faisalabad with an estimated cost of Rs 429 million, disclosed Dr Shahzad Alam, Chairman PCSIR. Addressing a meeting at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here on Saturday, he said the government has officially approved this project which will help to give a quantum jump to the textile exports by SME sector.
He said that his visit was to consult the stakeholders to make this project more beneficial and productive particularly for the textile sector. He said that he will identify the site for this project in addition to discussing whether this project should be exclusively for textile sector only or it could also cover other sectors of Faisalabad. He gave a detailed presentation on the performance of PCSIR and told that it is one of the premium R&D organizations of the country.
"Its objectives are to provide testing facilities in addition to Product Development and lending support to export sector", he said and added that it will also provide substitutes for existing imports. He said that PCSIR is also extending facilities for the human resource development. He also underlined the importance of SME sector in the overall development of any country and told that PCSIR is specially focusing on the facilitation of this sector.
He said that PCSIR has nine laboratories and seven academic institutes which are scattered in all parts of the country. "Each institute is contributing its national role with a focused approach on regional issues", he said and quoted the example of PCSIR Institute in Sakardu. He said that world's best quality fruits are being produced in this part of the country but a huge quantity of these are spoiled due to non availability of technology to preserve these fruits. He further said that PCSIR has provided solar dehydrators to the local people enabling them to preserve their crop for its onward supply to the domestic markets in addition to exporting the same to the potential international destinations. He also underlined the importance of highly skilled workers for the local industries and said that PCSIR is managing seven training centers across the country. Most of the passed out students of these centers have been successfully assimilated in the international job market. He said that PCSIR has so far trained 30 to 35 thousand students. "Similar facility could also be provided to the local youth in need based sector or trade", he added.
About technology development, Dr Shahzad Alam told that PCSIR has so far developed 130 new and innovative technologies which are ready for commercialization. Similarly, PCSIR is also providing latest and state of the art testing facilities from an ordinary electric meter to the high tech missiles. "We are also working on R&D for the local industry and at the moment our scientists are working on 60 different jobs entrusted to it by different industrial concerns", he said and told that all PCSIR laboratories are internationally accredited and its certification is accepted all over the world. Regarding Certification Incentive Program (CIP) of PCSIR, he said that Rs 745 million has been earmarked under this programme. "We are doling out Rs 4 to 5 lac for the certification of various units of the SME sector", he said and added that up till now 100 units have availed from this facility. Responding to a question, he announced to set up a special PCSIR desk in FCCI which will link industrialists with the R&D labs of PCSIR for the solution of their immediate problems without any cost. He said that PCSIR is also working on Halal food and cosmetic items imported from abroad and said that many of these are not up to the mark. He also mentioned that Pak-China Industrial Centre established in Islamabad and that local industrialists can get any Chinese technology with the courtesy of this centre.