Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has concluded another session under its Global Advisory and Innovation Network (GAIN), led by Dr. Maheera Abdul Ghani, a Cambridge trained materials scientist, Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2026 honouree, and founder of a University of Cambridge deep tech startup. The session formed part of PSEB’s ongoing GAIN series, which brings in global experts to engage directly with Pakistan’s technology industry and startup ecosystem.
The session centered on how Pakistan can move beyond its traditional role as a service delivery hub toward becoming a creator of high value technology, with discussions spanning artificial intelligence, deep tech, semiconductor design, research commercialization, and intellectual property. Participants explored practical pathways for this transition, including opportunities around non dilutive funding sources, stronger collaboration between academia and industry, and strategies for building technology products capable of competing on a global scale rather than solely serving outsourced service contracts.
The session brought together representatives from across Pakistan’s information technology industry along with startups incubated at National Incubation Centers (NICs) located in various cities across the country. Participation in the session was facilitated in collaboration with Ignite, the National Technology Fund, which has played a role in supporting Pakistan’s broader startup and innovation ecosystem through funding and institutional backing for incubation programmes nationwide.
During the session, Dr. Maheera emphasized the importance of investing more heavily in research and development, leveraging artificial intelligence effectively, and developing stronger product focused capabilities within Pakistani technology companies. She positioned these steps as central to Pakistan’s ability to establish itself as a global hub for frontier technologies rather than remaining primarily dependent on service based IT exports. PSEB extended its appreciation to Dr. Maheera, Ignite, and the participating companies and startups for contributing to the session, describing it as part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem through continued engagement with global experts and industry stakeholders.
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