Pakistan’s KP province launches Rs1.5 billion project to accelerate tech growth

Islamabad: Pakistan’s provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has unveiled 13 new science and tech programmes under its Rs1.5 billion worth project called ‘KP Science Agenda’.

Over 200 leaders from universities, research institutions, startups, industry, the development sector and the government came together at the launch event held in Peshawar by the KP Directorate General of Science and Technology (DoST) on Tuesday.

“This landmark initiative will help transform the tech landscape of Pakistan,” Dr Faisal Khan, the man behind the ‘KP Science Agenda’ told Gulf News. “This is the first time we are bringing a comprehensive, end-to-end roadmap for science and technology programmes.”

The project intends to ensure that the students are prepared for future jobs that are driven by digital transformation and emerging technologies. “The end-to-end programme allows students to learn, design, prototype, and also produce the end product, connecting education with real-world industry experiences”, says Dr Khan. This will also help the country of 220 million to prepare the next-generation workforce.

Another key aspect of the project is its sharp focus on three areas: advanced materials, biomedicine and space sciences. All three industries have the potential to reach trillion-dollar valuations in the next few years, says Dr Faisal Khan, who has a PhD in Systems Biology from the University of Oxford. These three fields would be the focus of the three-year pilot programme which would help “develop a critical mass of talent and infrastructure in the province,” he says.

“We want our scientists to focus on three areas of the future that are space science, advanced materials and biomedicine,” said Atif Khan, the provincial minister who is overseeing in-charge of IT as well as food youth affairs.

At the same time, the provincial government wants to develop solutions to replace imports and enhance exports. Minister Atif Khan shared that the besides three long-term focus areas, the project would also facilitate the “uplifting of the eight key natural resources that our province has been endowed with, including areas such as micro-hydel power, gemstones, bees and honey, and fruits.”

The project would offer grants, scholarships and fellowships to experts from all across Pakistan to develop products and solutions that benefit society and help maintain a network of hi-tech equipment. Sajid Hussain Shah, the director general of KP science and technology department, said that his team is “very fortunate to have had a remarkable increase in development funds this year” and said that they would make sure “that these programmes are executed rigorously.”