Izhar Hussain, Deputy Director of the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization at the Sindh Higher Education Commission, has visited National Incubation Center Karachi and met Syed Azfar Hussain, Project Director of the incubator, and his team. The two sides discussed ways to work together to support startups and build up the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the city. The visit puts the provincial body that oversees higher education in direct contact with one of the country’s largest startup incubators.
The discussion centred on how the commission can contribute to startup development by connecting academic institutions with the incubator. The meeting explored ways to support aspiring entrepreneurs, encourage innovation and help turn promising ideas into sustainable businesses through closer links between universities and the startup community. Most universities in Sindh now have an office for research, innovation and commercialization, but many of them have limited contact with incubators, and a commission that can bring them together could help move student and faculty projects towards the market.
National Incubation Center Karachi is one of the national incubation centres set up by Ignite National Technology Fund under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, with the backing of Tech Destination Pakistan. It was inaugurated at NED University and runs regular cohorts for early stage founders, and its latest cohort welcomed 36 startups. A closer link with the commission could help the incubator reach students and researchers at more universities across the province.
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