ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed Amer Ahmed Hashmi as chairperson for the Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA).
According to the ordinance passed on Dec 2 for the establishment of Special Technology Zones Authority, the new authority will focus on the growth of scientific and technological ecosystem in the country, primarily by fostering the development of technology zones and high-tech industrial parks, thereby contributing to the acceleration of the evolution of the national system of innovation.
Headquartered in Islamabad, the federal body will help promote the global competitiveness of the domestic technology sector, as well as provide institutional and legislative support to attract foreign direct investments in the high-tech sector.
The prime minister would serve as the president of the Board of Governors of the STZ Authority.
As a global strategist, IT executive, and entrepreneur, Amer Hashmi possesses diverse global experience in organizational leadership with companies like IBM and MCI Systemhouse. He was the founding CEO of Si3 – Pakistan’s pioneering technology outsourcing firm that helped stimulate IT systems integration in public and private organizations in Pakistan. His work has been featured in Forbes Asia, Businessweek & Financial Times UK.
Hashmi spent the last 10 years building a knowledge ecosystem in his capacity as Advisor and Chief Strategy Officer at National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST). He was also the Chairman of Executive Committee of NUST Science & Technology Park and founding President of the Global Think Tank Network (GTTN).
Hashmi is a graduate of York University, Toronto, and has been trained in several technical and specialized programs including executive leadership on ‘Innovation for Economic Development’ from Harvard’s Kennedy School of government.
NUST’s success is largely due to its colleges headed and managed by army, navy and air force serving officers. NUST Islamabad when established, it was snapped onto these institutions, however, due to their longstanding reputation, its influence was only limited to its new campus. It launched the same programs in parallel to existing ones at those institutions. NUST Islamabad under took projects by sourcing in from abroad like jetrova from Brazil to produce energy from sugarcane or a locally outsourced business transformation project. There were many overseas Pakistanis who joined NUST, flashing bombastic CVs as if they were the growth-engine behind the US economy. Time went on and the result is in front of everyone. So, it all goes without saying anything much.