KARACHI:
Around the world, countries pay considerable attention to the research and development sector because it is crucial for innovation, progress, and change. South Korea spends 4.81% of their GDP on the sector and Switzerland spends nearly 3.37% on it. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, research and development have been largely ignored by the country’s stakeholders.
In 2021, Pakistan ranked 99 among the 132 economies featured in the Global Innovation Index. This demonstrated an innovation deficiency in the country, which explains our inability to explore and exploit new technologies. In the past, Pakistan’s research has been limited to agriculture, biological, and computer sciences and medicine. Innovation and research in different fields lead countries toward sustainable economic growth, which can help them achieve high levels of productivity and performance and improve the well-being of citizens.
The incumbent government must pay attention to the research and development sector for Pakistan’s progress and prosperity. Adequate resources and funds should be allocated to educational institutions to support innovation and solid infrastructure must be established. It is crucial to improve our human capital by drawing more children towards education and providing training and development opportunities to foster creativity and growth. Improving female literacy and bringing more women into the workforce will also diversify the workforce. High levels of human capital will improve labour productivity and consequently lead to higher innovation, research, and development.
Naveed Abbas Maitlo
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, July 1st, 2022.
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