FAISALABAD City News

Innovation, entrepreneurship termed

key to generate economic activity

From Our Correspondent

FAISALABAD: Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) vice-president Engineer Ahmed Hassan Monday said innovation and entrepreneurship are prerequisite to generate much-needed economic activity in the country.

Addressing an inaugural session of a workshop on innovation and entrepreneurship jointly organized by the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and Institute of Engineers Pakistan (IEP), Hassan said with rapidly increasing population and already high unemployment ratio in the country, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the government to provide them jobs and in such circumstances innovation and entrepreneurship is the only available solution. He said most of educational institutes are producing a lot a degree holders and job seekers who have become burden on our already squeezing resources. He said linkages between industry and academia will be further strengthened due to innovation and entrepreneurship. The educational institutions must concentrate on producing entrepreneurs’ who could start their own businesses in addition to offering new jobs to others. He said new entrepreneurs should focus on demand-driven products and business models as without innovative we cannot survive in this competitive world. Hassan said the FCCI is also working actively for promoting entrepreneurship culture in Faisalabad. “I have also decided to set up a young entrepreneurs committee at FCCI for providing a common platform to discuss issues of common interest”, he remarked. Dr Habib Aslam Gaba Chairman FCCI Standing Committee on Industry-Academia Linkages and Zulfiqar Ahmed, Social Entrepreneurship, University of London also addressed the session.