A high-level delegation led by Brigadier General Paul Hayhust visited the National Science and Technology Park at the National University of Sciences and Technology for an engagement focused on innovation, research and technology development. The delegation was made up of the defence attachés of the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, among them Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Taafe, Colonel Mike Juillet, Colonel James Brownlie, Captain Naimi Amiral, Colonel Justin Rex, Colonel Brian Willis and Norva Hall. The visit gave the diplomats a view of the work of a park that houses startups, research centers and industry offices inside a university campus.
The delegation was received by Engineer Amer Sheikh, Director of the National Science and Technology Park. Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Dr. Rizwan Riaz, Pro-Rector for Research, Innovation and Commercialization at the university, gave an overview of the park’s innovation ecosystem and its ongoing efforts in research and development, entrepreneurship and industry collaboration. The briefing set out how the park links the university’s laboratories and students with companies that want to develop and commercialize new products.
The visit included tours of resident companies and facilities. The delegation toured LearnOBot, Rapidev and Turkish Aerospace, which gave it insight into innovation-driven ventures and ongoing research and development work. At the School of Interdisciplinary Engineering and Sciences, it visited the Biomechanics Lab, and it then took part in an interactive session at the Center for Emerging Technologies with the Director General of the NUST Institute of Policy Studies. The delegation also visited Kodifly and the National Center of Artificial Intelligence, where it saw solutions driven by artificial intelligence, technology demonstrations and defence technology products from across the ecosystem.
The park describes itself as an innovation powerhouse of Pakistan, and hosting diplomats from four countries gives it a chance to show what its startups and laboratories can offer. No agreements or programs were announced as a result of the visit, and the engagement centered on exposure and dialogue. For the companies that took part in the tours, the visit offered an opportunity to present their work to an international audience with an interest in technology and defence-related research.
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