The National Science and Technology Park at the National University of Sciences and Technology recently hosted a delegation from the Pakistan Navy War College, made up of 60 participants including faculty members and officers from friendly countries. The delegation was led by the Deputy Commandant of the college. The visit gave a mixed group of military officers and academics a close look at how a university linked park supports research, startups and technology development.
Engineer Amer Sheikh, Director of the National Science and Technology Park, briefed the delegation on the park’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. The group then visited Rapidev, a technology company based at the park, to gain insight into technology development, defence focused innovation and research and development activities. Seeing a working company at the park allowed the officers to understand how technology is built and commercialized, and how defence related work fits alongside commercial products.
Dr Rizwan Riaz, Pro-Rector for Research, Innovation and Commercialization at the National University of Sciences and Technology, also joined the visit. The delegation afterwards toured the School of Interdisciplinary Engineering and Sciences and the Artificial Intelligence Experience Center at the Centre for Emerging Technologies, where they were introduced to emerging technologies, applied research and innovation initiatives across the university’s ecosystem. The tour showed visitors how research laboratories, a technology park and an artificial intelligence center operate within a single campus and support each other.
The park said the engagement highlighted its role in fostering innovation, research and technology development. For the Pakistan Navy War College, whose participants include officers from partner nations, the visit offered an example of how Pakistan links academic research with industry and national security needs. Exchanges of this kind give military education institutions a view of the civilian technology sector and give the park an opportunity to present its work to an international audience of officers and faculty.
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