The National Science and Technology Park at NUST hosted a delegation from Pakistan Digital Authority for a structured engagement focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future direction of Pakistan’s digital ecosystem. The PDA delegation was led by Mohammad J Sear, Vice Chairperson and Director General, and included Moazzam Kamran, Director of Startups and Innovation, Ghaffar Sethar, Chief Citizen Experience Officer, Sidra Cheema, Senior Product Manager, and other members of the authority. The visit represents an early and significant signal of PDA’s intent to build direct institutional relationships with Pakistan’s leading technology and innovation infrastructure providers as it develops its national digital agenda.
The delegation was briefed by Engineer Amer Sheikh, Director of NSTP, and Emmad Ahsan, Senior General Manager Innovation, on the park’s key initiatives spanning incubation programmes, industry-academia collaborations, startup support mechanisms, and broader technology ecosystem development efforts. NSTP, which operates under NUST and serves as one of Pakistan’s most active technology park and incubation environments, hosts a significant number of resident technology companies and early-stage startups at various points in their growth journeys, making it a natural partner for an institution like PDA that is focused on building the infrastructure and policy environment for Pakistan’s digital economy to scale.
The visit also included a tour of NSTP’s physical facilities and direct interactions with resident companies, giving the PDA delegation first-hand exposure to the kind of applied research, product development, and entrepreneurial activity happening within the park’s ecosystem. A particular focus was placed on Hatch 8, NSTP’s flagship incubation programme dedicated to supporting early-stage founders and startups, which exemplifies the institution-building model that connects nascent technology ventures with the mentorship, resources, and industry networks they need to move from concept to commercially viable products. For PDA’s Director of Startups and Innovation Moazzam Kamran, the interaction with Hatch 8 was directly relevant to PDA’s own mandate of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship as part of Pakistan’s national digital transformation.
The engagement concluded with constructive discussions on potential areas of collaboration between PDA and NSTP, covering innovation facilitation, digital governance support, and contributions to the growth of Pakistan’s technology and startup ecosystem. Both institutions expressed strong interest in building a sustained partnership that leverages NSTP’s physical infrastructure, incubation expertise, and industry-academia relationships alongside PDA’s policy authority, national digital mandate, and emerging programme portfolio. As PDA continues to build out its leadership team and operational programmes, partnerships with institutions like NSTP will be central to ensuring that the authority’s digital governance work is grounded in the real capabilities and needs of Pakistan’s innovation and technology sector.
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