CM announces establishment of innovation hub at UoP

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Friday announced the establishment of a state-of-the-art innovation hub at the provincial level as a major step towards promoting working spaces and the development of information technology in the province.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Innovation Hub would be set up on the premises of the University of Peshawar.The decision was taken during a joint meeting of the Higher Education and Information Technology Departments chaired by the chief minister, said a handout. The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Technology Shafqat Ayaz, Secretary IT Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary Higher Education Kamran Afridi, and other relevant officials. During the meeting, the officials briefed the chief minister on various aspects of the proposed innovation hub.

It was revealed that the hub would comprise 22 private offices, two large event halls, a conference room, a boardroom, two committee rooms, and two co-working spaces. The facility will utilise the building of the existing incubation centre at the University of Peshawar.

Once operational, the innovation hub is expected to generate an annual income of up to Rs60 million for the university. It will serve as a multipurpose IT centre, offering a conducive environment for students, freelancers, and private IT companies, particularly startups and entrepreneurs. All necessary facilities and services for startups and entrepreneurship will be available under one roof.

The chief minister directed the departments concerned to ensure the timely launch of the innovation hub and stated that similar hubs would be established at other universities following the success of this project.

He emphasised that the initiative would help financially strengthen the university and provide high-quality co-working spaces to youth and companies involved in the IT sector. He added that the project would promote the use of modern technology and open up new employment opportunities for young people. The meeting also gave in-principle approval for the establishment of digital connections in divisional headquarters. Initially, these will be set up in rented buildings and will feature IT parks, co-working spaces, and computer labs.

Speaking at the meeting, the chief minister said, “We aim to provide youth in every division with access to IT innovation. We must create an enabling environment that aligns with the needs of the digital age.”

He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to digitising provincial institutions and providing the necessary funding on a priority basis to transition all departments toward IT integration.