Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) Chairman Dr. Niaz Ahmed Akhtar today directed the country’s strategic research centers to overcome commercialization challenges and actively promote their innovative products, signaling a major push towards translating academic research into marketable solutions.
During an introductory meeting with Dr Naveed Arshad, Project Director of the National Centre in Big Data and Cloud Computing (NCBC), the HEC chairman advised the institution and its affiliated laboratories to more effectively showcase their research outputs through their websites and social media platforms.
Dr Akhtar reaffirmed the HEC”s commitment to assisting these hubs, assuring the NCBC of access to the commission”s own digital and social media channels to disseminate their success stories and scholarly contributions to a wider audience.
The meeting involved a detailed review of the research activities and key achievements of the NCBC and its partner labs. In response to the focus on market viability, the centre presented its strategy to address commercialisation obstacles, which includes the establishment of a dedicated Business Development Unit.
The Chairman commended the centre for its valuable contributions, specifically highlighting its support to the Government of Sindh within the health sector. He reiterated that such institutions hold strategic national importance for advancing research, innovation, and technological development in the country.
Dr Akhtar also stressed the necessity of strengthening networking among researchers across all affiliated labs. He further emphasised the importance of building researcher profiles through a centralised portal to enhance collaboration and outreach efforts.