A team of students from Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology has received seed funding from the university’s Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization for their final year project, e-ERFA, marking a milestone for the student team as they move their academic work toward a more applied, technology driven solution. The funding came through ZABEFEST 2026, an event organised by the university to support and showcase student innovation and entrepreneurship.
The project was developed by a two person team, with Arsalan Aftab serving as project partner alongside the student sharing the announcement, working under the supervision of Sheikh Usama Khalid, who guided the pair throughout the development of e-ERFA. The team credited their supervisor’s continuous guidance as a key factor in bringing the project to the stage where it was able to secure seed funding through ORIC’s support structure.
ORIC at SZABIST operates as the university’s dedicated office for linking research and commercialisation with emerging and existing firms across Pakistan, working closely with student researchers and campus incubation infrastructure to help convert academic projects into ventures with real world application. The office has continued to play a central role in supporting final year students whose projects show potential beyond the classroom, offering seed funding as one of the mechanisms used to encourage this kind of transition from academic work to early stage entrepreneurship.
ZABEFEST, the platform through which the seed funding was awarded, has continued to serve as SZABIST’s dedicated event for showcasing student innovation, giving final year students and other participants a venue to present their projects to a wider audience that includes faculty, industry representatives, and potential supporters. The 2026 edition of the event provided the platform through which e-ERFA’s team was able to secure the funding needed to continue developing their project beyond its academic requirements.
The recognition adds to a broader pattern of student led innovation emerging from SZABIST’s ORIC supported ecosystem, where final year projects are increasingly being positioned as potential starting points for entrepreneurial ventures rather than purely academic exercises. With seed funding now secured, the e-ERFA team is expected to continue refining their project, building on the technical and academic foundation established during their final year at the university.
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