Islamabad: Minister for Planning and Development, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a future-ready Pakistan by leveraging science, technology, and innovation as core engines of national development. He was speaking at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the International Nathiagali Summer College, held at the National Centre for Physics in Islamabad on Monday.
According to Radio Pakistan, Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that innovation is essential in today’s techno-economy, where knowledge is power, data is currency, and innovation is national security. Highlighting recent government initiatives, he announced two major new projects approved by the Planning Commission. These include the Dr. A. Q. Khan Materials Research Institute, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, focusing on advanced materials critical for energy security and high-tech manufacturing.
The second project is the Emerging Technologies Centre, with an investment exceeding three billion rupees, aimed at building national capacity in next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, additive manufacturing, and digital transformation. The Minister also revealed plans to launch three new national centres in the coming year: the National Centre for Quantum Computing, the National Centre for Nanotechnology, and the National Centre for New Manufacturing.
These initiatives will complement the seven National Centres of Excellence established during the 2013-2018 tenure, which include the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Big Data and Cloud Computing, Robotics and Automation, GIS and Space Applications, Applied Mathematics, and Livestock Breeding, Genetics and Genomics. Together, these centres aim to establish a robust scientific and technological infrastructure in Pakistan.
To unify these efforts under a forward-thinking strategy, the Minister announced the rollout of Quantum Valley Pakistan, a national innovation platform. This initiative will prioritize strategic sectors such as agritech, biotech, mineral technologies, and advanced materials, positioning Pakistan as a leader in the future economy.
The Minister also highlighted the launch of STED (Science, Technology, and Innovation for Economic Development) under the URAAN Pakistan Framework. Grounded in the Triple Helix Model, which fosters collaboration between academia, industry, and government, STED ensures that scientific research is translated into real-world solutions.