ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) organised an “Investors Connect Programme” (ICP) to bring together innovators and investors to promote innovations and explore mutually beneficial match-makings.
Ministry of Industries and Production Secretary Maroof Afzal was the chief guest of the ceremony, said a press release here on Thursday.
The innovators of UNIDO’s Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) participated in the Investors Connect Program and presented their innovations to the potential investors so that investors could support commercialisation of innovative business ideas.
Speaking at the occasion Secretary Ministry of Industries and Production said that government should make supportive policies for innovators to bring industrial revolution in Pakistan.
He said that 60 per cent local youth was below 30 years of age that offered great potential for innovations. He added that a conducive environment and good incentives were needed for the innovative ideas to flourish.
The secretary appreciated the initiative of ICCI and UNIDO for taking a lead to organise Investors Connect Programme and urged the investors to support innovators for building an innovative culture in Pakistan. He also stressed for a mechanism and system to address barriers and support creative talent and new technologies in the country.
Maroof also hoped that ICP would lead to the formation of some big companies in Pakistan and assured that his ministry would support such initiatives.
ICCI President Sheikh Amir Waheed said that Investors Connect Programme was organised by ICCI for the first time in Pakistan in collaboration with UNIDO, to provide innovators with a good platform to connect with investors for commercialisation of innovative ideas.
He further went on to say that Pakistan has a pool of innovators who needed right direction and support to excel in innovations. He stressed that public-private partnership models should be developed to support innovators.
The president assured that ICCI would continue to partner with UNIDO in initiatives aimed at promoting innovators, startups and SMEs.
At this occasion, ICCI also launched an “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum” (IEF) to bring all public and private sector organisations working for promoting innovations, at a single platform and bring synergy in their efforts for better promotion of innovators and startups.
HEC, Ignite and UNIDO have assured to support ICCI in this initiative to foster a culture of innovations in the region.
UNIDO Country Director Nadia Aftab said that access to capital was a major hurdle for local innovators and hoped that ICP would help innovators in transforming innovative ideas into rising brands.
She said world-renowned companies like Google and Facebook were also launched as startups and hoped that ICP would contribute to promoting some big companies in Pakistan.
