IBA’s Center for Information and Communication Technology (CICT) was a platform launched by the advisory board of IBA which provides computing facilities to their students, staff and faculty. It is fundamentally used to provide assistance in the form of training and other services such as in the corporate and academic sector. After a number of years, it became a focal point in promoting budding entrepreneurs and facilitates IT related diplomas as well. With a platform as well-versed as this, they have collaborated with the Information Science and Technology Department of the Government of Sindh to launch the Sindh Research Incubation Centre.
Read: Technology for Greater Good of Society: SingularityU Islamabad Chapter Launch
The Sindh Incubation Centre is a Technology incubator which offers an incubation to a potential business which lasts for one full year. Since this was in collaboration with the CICT, the selected startup is offered an incubation which includes given an office/ working space in IBA. This project also allows for access to facilities such as Utilities, Seed Capital and access to investors. The main purpose of this incubation center is to provide a platform to innovate new and suitable IT products. The Sindh Research Incubation Centre guarantees sustainable growth for these tech-based products at an early level by providing the necessary funding and guidance the startup needs to prosper with the intent of it being sold on a commercial basis.
Read: Cloud Computing for Academics: CIO IBA In Conversation with IDG
This research program will provide individuals with numerous facilities and skillsets which they will acquire throughout the 12 months of the program. The Sindh Research Incubation Centre offers a working space alongside a high-speed internet connection for their work. This is followed by guest speaker sessions which will also include networking opportunities with potential investors who might fund their startup. They get an exposure of an in-depth business-based curriculum and will also gain access to seed capital where no equity will be taken. Finally, this provides them another chance to pitch their product and gain a better outreach of their product in the market.
The deadline for registration is the 18th of March 2018 and the link for registration can be found here. The contestants will need to submit the online application and must give their pitch where a certain group of people will qualify for the pitching to the panel of judges. The judges will decide the qualified startups that will soon follow the incubation cycle.