‘Smeda saves local football industry by establishing SIDC’

LAHORE: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) has saved the local football industry from losing its share in the international market by establishing a Sports Industries Development Center (SIDC) at Sialkot with the support of federal government that provided Rs.436 million to execute the project.
It was informed by Smeda officials at a reception hosted in honor of the Lahore Economic Journalists Association (LEJA). The officials told that Sialkot was catering to around 70% of total world demand of hand stitched inflatable balls, which translate into around 40 million balls annually by providing direct employment facility to over 200,000 individuals.
Total exports of Sports Goods during Calendar year 2014 were US$ 260 million with inflatable balls worth US$ 211 million, said SMEDA officials adding that the major export destinations were Germany with 14%, UK 10%, USA 8% and Netherlands with 7% of the total exports.
Smeda officials said, the sports goods sector, coupled with multiple challenges, was facing the major threat in the form of “Mechanized inflatable ball”, which uses medium end technology to produce a ball having most of the characteristics of hand stitched ball.
This new ball has been tested and played in a number of international football tournaments including UEFA EURO 2004.
While, an improved version of this ball was used in the FIFA World cup held in 2006.
Smeda officials said, SIDC is a core initiative in the strategy of infusing Mechanized inflatable ball technology in the local industry.
This centre presumed to provides technical knowhow, trained labour force, prototype development, mold making services, IPR facilitation and manufacturing of mechanised inflatable balls for SMEs so that the sector embraces the new technology with minimal hiccups and maintains its present share in international trade of inflatable balls.
The installed capacity of the center, on single shift basis, is 1000,000 balls per year on a single shift basis. However, it may be enhanced in two shifts depending on the need.
The center has started trial operation as a common facility where local manufacturers / exporters have started bringing their material and using the available machinery to produce high quality products.
Smeda officials informed that the center will be able to create around 12,600 jobs as a result of its services over a period of 10 years.
Since the center possesses high end machinery and equipment that is not locally available to the SMEs, the workers and technicians of the SMEs will be trained for production of high quality mechanized balls.
The project is also in the process of engaging foreign experts for training of the local industry.
Smeda officials said that SIDC had achieved the quality production of lower weight bladders and complete the orders of lower weight bladders of different parties as per requirement.
It has reached the production capacity up to 71 percent from 120 gram to 230 gram weight per bladder. Still technology for production of Butyl bladders is needed and under trial. However, the center has produced 300,000 bladders till date assisting in generation of export revenue of Rs. 240 million.
It is encouraging that the Project has started trial production of various types of balls in coordination with the local industry and has so far produced more than 20,000 balls for the private sector.
More than 20 private companies are engaged with SIDC for their export related production requirements.
The project is also striving hard for development of FIFA standard thermo balls for the foreign markets.