LAHORE: Technology upgradation in engineering industries is a key to high economic growth, which could put Pakistan on path to progress and prosperity.
This was the upshot of the speeches delivered at day-long national conference on Technology Upgradation in Engineering Industries arranged by the LCCI Committee on Technology Promotion in Manufacturing Skills.
Provincial Minister for Industries Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq, LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar, Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad, Convener of the Standing Committee Mian Fazal Ahmad, Abdul Hameed Toor from NCBA&E University, Dr Abdul Ghafoor from NUST, Dr Nauman Zafar, Engineer Masood A Sheikh, Engineer Osama Izhaar and Sohail Bashir Rana were among the speakers who expressed their views over the importance of Technology upgradation in today’s world.
There was a consensus among all the speakers that there is no short cut to technological advancement and it requires highest level of expertise and huge investment to bring Pakistan’s industrial sector at par with developed countries. They said that both the public and private sectors would have to work together to achieve the desired goal of technological advancement in the local industry.
Provincial Minister for Industries Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq said that the government is utilising all available resources to help industrial sector get excellence and to enable it to get access to global opportunities.
The minister said that the neighbouring countries are gaining huge benefit through developing software/hardware houses and exporting to the developed world but unfortunately Pakistan is far behind the other countries of the region. He said, “We can also earn foreign exchange through promoting information technology, particularly in engineering sector.”
Speaking on the occasion, LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar said that the basic objective of the conference was to take stock of efforts aimed at technology upgradation in engineering industries. He said that successful innovation and technological development in the realm of economy requires strenuous efforts from both the government and the private sector.
The LCCI president stressed the need of developing close linkages between academia and industry. He said that we need to harness all the available expertise in engineering to address the major issues being faced nowadays. He said that it is high time that engineering services and resources be called for finding effective solutions for energy production, supplies and usage etc. He said, “Technological development is now more essential for our prosperity, security, health, environment and our quality of life than it has ever been before.”
