Ayesha Saba

The Quantum Valley Initiative launched by the government has the potential to become a cornerstone for building an inclusive and innovation-driven economy in the digital age.

Khalid Awan, former executive director of the Pakistan Science Foundation, lauded the initiative as a “visionary leap” toward building Pakistan’s capacity in frontier technologies such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced cybersecurity.

“This initiative is more than symbolic; it has the potential to reorient Pakistan’s innovation ecosystem by investing in long-term scientific capabilities that can support industrial modernization and economic competitiveness,” he noted.

“To truly benefit from this initiative, Pakistan must create an ecosystem that supports startups and encourages private sector participation. Tax incentives, grants for research, and intellectual property protections will be essential to lure both local and international investors,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between academia and industry to ensure that research leads to marketable innovations.

Adnan Hassan, a technology policy expert at the Pakistan Institute of Science and Technology, emphasized that the success of the initiative will depend on more than infrastructure.

“Pakistan must simultaneously strengthen its human capital base by reforming STEM education, offering scholarships in quantum sciences, and building local capacity through research grants and fellowships. Without trained scientists and engineers, the Quantum Valley risks becoming an underutilized space,” he said.

“Currently, Pakistan lags behind its regional peers in terms of R&D spending averaging less than 0.3% of GDP. The government’s allocation of funds for R&D is relatively low. Our budget allocation reflects our priorities in various sectors. We can learn from China’s successful experience.

“China has been spending heavily on research and development. Many of its resources go toward developing future technologies and next generation manufacturing capital,” he said.

Quantum Valley Pakistan will be a whole-of-government endeavor, involving the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Information Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Defence and National Technology Fund (Ignite).

The initiative will host advanced science parks specializing in emerging fields like agri-tech, biotechnology, materials science, and minerals, creating an ecosystem where academia, industry, and government collaborate.

The strategic framework for the initiative has been co-developed with St John’s Innovation Centre at the University of Cambridge, a globally recognized hub for tech enterprise.

Credit: INP-WealthPk