500 indigenous technologies, 200 start-ups showcasedat PU summit

LAHORE: A total 500 indigenous technologies, with around 200 start-up projects, were put on display at 7th Invention to Innovation Summit organised by Punjab University Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation in collaboration with Pakistan Science Foundation and Institute of Research Promotion at new campus.

Hundred institutions from all over Pakistan are participating to showcase their innovative ideas at the corridors of Institute of Education and Research. The inaugural ceremony of the summit was held at Faisal Auditorium here on Wednesday.

PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Zakria Zakar was chief guest on the occasion while Government College University Faisalabad Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Ali, President ECO Pakistan Science Foundation Dr Manzoor Ahmed Soomro, Chief Executive Officer IRP Abid Sherwani, Secretary Livestock Naseem Sadiq, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries’ Vice President Zeeshan, USA’s University of North Karolina’s Prof Dr Martin Fing, chief executive officers of various industries, representatives of various science organisations and a large number of students were present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Zakria Zakar called upon the need to strengthen linkages among academic, industry and society. He said universities are producers and societies are consumers of the knowledge and the gap among the trio would increase our socio-economic problems. He said that PU would play its role for establishing strong link with industry and society. He said that all such research work was useless which was in the shelves only and not contributing to improving living standards of the people.

Dr Muhammad Ali said that our small problems were also very important which needed to be addressed. He said that we had a lot of potential but we need leadership and direction. He said that we must promote culture of innovation and commercialisation at university level. Dr Manzoor Soomro and Abid Sherwani also spoke. The participants took special interest in robot, smart city project, water recycling and other stalls set up at IER corridor. The summit will continue today (Thursday).