Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Acting President Faad Waheed has called to enhance academia-industry linkages to benefit the local industry and boost economic growth in the country.
During a visit to Centre of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) at Air University, Islamabad along with a delegation, Waheed said that universities were producing several research projects, however, none benefited the local industry as they do not contribute to resolving industrial issues and have no practical implications.
He said that with close academia-industry linkages, universities could help in improving the efficiency, productivity and competitiveness of local industry, and in producing value-added products to boost exports.
He stressed that universities should focus on applied research that would help in addressing major problems of society. "The ICCI is ready to provide mentorship and career counselling to students, facilitate their placement as interns in local industry and help in commercialising innovative business ideas of students", he added.
He emphasised that the universities should focus on fostering entrepreneurship in students that would enable them to promote business start-ups and play an active role in the economic development of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor, Air University, Air Marshal (Retd) Javaid Ahmed HI(M), Islamabad welcomed the ICCI delegation and said that close cooperation between Air University and ICCI would produce beneficial outcomes for students and industry.
He said that the industry should share its problems with universities so that academia could make efforts to resolve them. He hoped that ICCI’s efforts would contribute to improving linkages between academia and the industry that would eventually lead to accelerated growth of the economy.
Director ORIC, Air University, Air Cdr (Retd) Afzaal Ahmed, gave a detailed briefing to the ICCI delegation on industrial laboratories and other industrial innovations.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2023.
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