LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Higher Education and Information Technology Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz says ‘Lahore TechnoPolis’ is being established on 800 acres to create an ecosystem for knowledge economy, education, research and hi-tech manufacturing.

“The Lahore TechnoPolis is a project of the Higher Education Department (HED) and the Lahore Knowledge Park Company (LKPC) will manage and operate it.”

He stated this while addressing a press conference at Alhamra on Friday. Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) Hasaan Khawar and LKPC Chairman Jamal Ansari accompanied him.

Mr Sarfraz said the Lahore TechnoPolis, inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan, would house top-ranked international universities, research centres and hi-tech companies. He said business centres would be established for conducting research on the technology products and establish linkages with the local as well international industries with a focus on exports of technology and boosting the knowledge economy.

The higher education minister added that a fully operative working environment containing electricity, the internet and furnished offices would be provided to fresh graduates for the brainstorming and materialising the innovative ideas in line with the industrial requirement.

He said that in the first phase, a tower consisting on 5-10 acres would be constructed as Iconic Tower to house the LKPC regulatory offices, research centres, business incubators along the facility of one-window operation for facilitating Zone Enterprises to set up their organisations.

Mr Sarfraz said the Lahore TechnoPolis was aiming at developing a ‘Boot Camp’ for providing knowledge and technical training and skills to the young IT students.

The minister claimed the TechnoPolis would increase the reputation as well as ranking of Pakistan amongst other countries of the world in terms of the creation of entrepreneurs (currently Pakistan is at 107 position), job creation and improve the quality of life of people.

SACM Khawar said Pakistan would claim its share from world’s 11tr revenue tech industries and launch of work on the Lahore Technopolis was a part of the practical strategy in achieving this aim. He said the previous government had acquired 813 acres in 2013 for setting up universities on 200 acres and use the remaining land for commercial purposes.

He said more than Rs1.5bn were spent on the project till 2018 and a wall, a gate and a heap of garbage were present on the spot while the PML-N was trying to claim the credit.

LKPC Chairman Mr Ansari also spoke.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2021