A Pakistani American and OPEN Seattle tech delegation visited the National Incubation Center Lahore (NICL) at LUMS in an effort to strengthen ties between the digital diaspora in the United States and tech talent in Pakistan. The group included technology leaders from Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Educative, Leverify, and Data Science Dojo, all of whom were interested in learning more about the country’s developing entrepreneurial ecosystem and laying the groundwork for future collaboration.
The visitors were given a tour of the NICL facilities, which included the Makers Lab, a suite of cutting-edge prototype workshops; the Facebook Innovation Lab, where virtual and augmented reality ideas are brought to life; and a co-working area with a plug-and-play setup. They also had in-depth discussions with Foundation Council members as well as NICL teachers and staff.
The tour will aid in the promotion of partnership and mentorship possibilities for Pakistani start-up owners, as well as technology transfer to achieve scalable effect. The existing incubation programme start-ups got the opportunity to connect with the delegation and generate interest. Enzyme manufacturing, augmented reality textbooks to boost learning, a crowdfunding platform, an online coding school for kids, and the gamification of physical activity are just a few examples.
“It’s heartening to see the rapid growth in Pakistan’s technology space and startup potential,” said Moazzam Chaudhry, who heads Product Management at Google Cloud and is the President at OPEN Global. “There is no dearth of talent and potential in Pakistan; I’ve met some start-ups today at NICL, and am impressed with their serious passion and maturity even at the early stage!”
Chairman Saleem Ahmad presented his vision for NICL, saying,
“Solving Pakistan’s biggest problems requires extraordinary human capital development. We are committed to doing our part in bridging the skills gaps needed to not only sustain the growth of our nascent start-up ecosystem but also create viable career opportunities for our abundant youth. Equally importantly, we aim to help local industry innovate to enhance industry productivity and global competitiveness”.
