Pakistan has completed the institutional setup of its national semiconductor education and research cluster network after NED University of Engineering and Technology joined the Semiconductor Education and Research Cluster as the lead university for the South Region. Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja witnessed the signing of the agreement between the Pakistan Software Export Board and NED University in Karachi.
The agreement formally establishes NED as the South Region’s lead university, alongside NUST for the North Region and ESUPAK-UET Lahore for the Central Region. With this signing, all three Semiconductor Education and Research Cluster institutional agreements under the National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program, also known as INSPIRE, are now complete, meaning Pakistan has three formally established regional semiconductor education and research clusters covering different parts of the country.
According to the IT Ministry, the agreements have been completed within the first year of the INSPIRE program, allowing it to move into full scale implementation. The current intake under the Semiconductor Education and Research Cluster network will train 270 students across the three regions, with the broader program targeting the development of more than 7,200 semiconductor professionals in Pakistan by 2030.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Shaza Fatima Khawaja described the agreement as an important milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to build a competitive semiconductor ecosystem, saying the INSPIRE program is focused not only on training students but on creating the foundation for Pakistan to participate in the global semiconductor value chain. The semiconductor industry requires skilled professionals across areas including chip design, manufacturing and testing, and with NED now formally joining the network, the program can move ahead with its wider education and research activities aimed at building Pakistan’s future semiconductor workforce.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
