A Bi-annual Chronicle of ORIC INSTITUTE OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY

A Bi-annual Chronicle of ORIC

January- June 2018

Volume: 1 Issue: 1

INSTITUTE OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Office of Research, Innovation & Commercialization

January- June 2018www.ist.edu.pk/oric

Engr. Imran Rahman

Vice Chancellor’s Message

Research and teaching are part and parcel of the overall learning process in

any university. The commercialization of research according to market-driven

requirements greatly improves the quality of life and strengthen national defense.

The knowledge, ideas or inventions are converted into useful products, processes or

services through entrepreneurial skills. Self-sustainability of elite institutions like

MIT, Cambridge, Stanford and others is attributed to their conformance to successful

business models from university R&D projects. For a developing country like

Pakistan, it is important to convert the knowledge into practice for accelerated socio-

economic progress. IST has therefore provided a platform to the faculty and

students for converting their innovative concepts into viable products by

establishing Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization under the

guidance of Higher Education Commission, Pakistan.

Director General’s Message

As imagination is the sine qua non of science, so is research for innovation.

The Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) has established a

well-integrated R&D and entrepreneurial ecosystem to launch the research from our

laboratories to marketplace. It aims to become an enterprise hub that bridges the gap

among university, industry, and community. In pursuit of so, IST ORIC has

established HEC Desk, Professional Development Centre (PDC), Business

Incubation Centre (BIC), and Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC).

IST ORIC has initiated rigorous R & D activities in the campus and has made

significant achievements since its inception from scratch. Strategic collaborations

have been forged with national and international R&D entities to achieve critical mass

and benefiting from multidisciplinary expertise.

At IST BIC, our students are equipped with Entrepreneurship and Business skills so that they may be able to

choose to utilize at some point in their careers. To enrich the learning process among our faculty and students;

multidisciplinary workshops and seminars are organized. IST ORIC invites you to learn more about the R&D being

conducted at IST and to work with us for joint R&D endeavors.

Prof. Zaffar M. Khan


January- June 2018

Volume: 1 Issue: 1




IST has provided a platform for students and

researchers to share their innovative ideas with

fellow researchers by establishing an Innovation

Wall (i-Wall) at the IST . The i-Wall ORIC

promotes significant contributions of students,

researchers and inventors by recognizing their

technological accomplishments and therefore to

encourage young entrepreneurs in pursuing

invention-oriented professions. Also a dedicated

section for writing/ placing the innovative,

patentable and commercializable ideas has been

earmarked within the ORIC’s i-Wall. The wall

will be augmented by digital display to make it noticeable to everyone with an aim to foster and motivate researchers

to unleash their innovative ideas.

Research and development activities allow researchers to develop novel ideas and

build new knowledge/ skills, and techniques as well as technologies in order to attain

competitive advantage over others. It is the R&D activities in actual that make an

organization to flourish by providing it a strong platform for novelty and creativity

which successfully leads to innovation and subsequently successful towards

commercialization of the developed technologies. We can simply say that,

innovation is a key driver for socio-economic development of a nation and plays a

vital role in the process of research and development.

Since its inception, Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) at the Institute of Space

Technology (IST) is entirely focusing on fostering and developing an environment that may lead to collaborative

research, industrial projects/ consultancy, innovation protection, commercialization and startup creation. The vision

of IST ORIC is to transform IST into a hub of innovation and creativity in the field of engineering, science and

technology. It is committed to extend all possible facilitation and assistance to signal a research culture by soliciting

concrete research plans and therefore encourage to each and every single innovation that may stimulate the economy

towards socio-economic developments in different fields/ areas.

Innovation Wall (i-Wall)

Research Funding and Collaborative Research Projects

IST has strong ties with various national and international R&D organizations and funding agencies such as, Higher

Education Commission, Ignite, International Donors, National R&D Organizations, National Space Agency, Pakistan

Air Force etc. Besides external sources of research funding, IST ORIC has its own R&D Fund and various projects of

worth Rs.14 million have been funded so far since its inception.


January- June 2018

Volume: 1 Issue: 1




HEC Desk

Technology and Innovation Support Center

An HEC Desk is established at IST ORIC to serve as a

pivotal point; encompassing all the research activities -

from development of research proposals to research

funding opportunities for IST researchers at HEC

under a single umbrella. The objective is to develop,

expand, enhance and manage the university's research

programs and to link research activities directly to the

educational, social and economic priorities of the

university and its broader community. It is worth

mentioning that the research culture/ environment has

been improved in the institute upto a considerable

extent with establishment of this desk.

Moreover, the HEC Desk provides following services:

Fund raising for research

Provides information to faculty about various available research grants.

Assists in negotiating problematic/ complicated sponsored research agreements/ programs.

TISC is established at IST in

joint collaboration with

World Intellectual Property

Organization (WIPO), HEC

and Pakistan Intellectual

Property Organizat ion

( IPO-Pak i s t an ) . T ISC

p r o v i d e s I n t e l l e c t u a l

Property Rights (IPR)

r e l a t e d s e r v i c e s t o

inventors, researchers and

entrepreneurs in the field of

p a t e n t s e a r c h , p a t e n t

drafting, patent filing, copyrights and trademarks.

Intellectual Property Organization (IPO)

University-Industry Linkages (UIL)

UIL is vital for capacity building, innovation,

t e c h n o l o g y t r a n s f e r , a n d p r o m o t i o n o f

entrepreneurship. UIL at the institute is actively

involved in foreign linkages

with both public and private

sector. It is rendering training

and consultancy services to

multiple entit ies. So far i t has established

collaborations with the following industries/

organizations:

Millat Tractors Pvt Ltd, Grand Engineering Pvt Ltd,

Sultan and Kamil Engineering, AQ Industries, Thal

Industries, Safina Sugar Mills, Pakistan Tobacco

Company, Pakistan Telecommunication Ltd,

E n g i n e e r i n g C o m p o n e n t s & M a c h i n e r y

Manufacturers Associat ion (ECMMA), HQ

industries, Archive Tech, E-Vision, National Institute

of Electronics (NIE), Oil and Gas Training Institute

(OGTI), NINVAST, Faisal Bank and Indus Pipes.

These linkages successfully allow transfer of

knowledge from Academia to Industry, R&D cost

reduction benefitting by producing more job-ready

students at the same time.

A team from IPO-Pakistan visited IST ORIC and

evaluated the progress and performance of TISC.

Positive feedback of IPO officials resulted in formal

recognition of TISC by

WIPO internationally.

It is worth mentioning

that TISC has been

a d d e d i n W I P O

Directory of TISCs.

University Industry


January- June 2018

Volume: 1 Issue: 1




Professional Development Center (PDC)

Professional development activities keep engineers/

scientists/ researchers abreast to technological

advancements and equip them with professional skills

required. PDC was established with the aim to provide

multidisciplinary quality trainings by engaging

qualified faculty and seasoned trainers from IST and

abroad. These trainings are conducted for both

Industry and Academia to enhance the productivity

and efficiency of organizations by including

professional skills aligned with latest technological

trends. So far, PDC has conducted numerous trainings

in the field of science and technology, some highlights

are as follows:

PDC organized an 8-Week Research Excellence

Course by Dr. Zahoor Sarwar from April 1 to May

20, 2018. It was a fast-track course to equip the

attendees with modern research techniques and

latest research tools. Participants with/ from

academic and management backgrounds attended

the course. The participants were instructed by

world class national and international researchers

and reviewers. Hands-on session was an integral

part of the course in which participants carried out

their research analysis using state of the art research

tools, like, NVIVO, SPSS, AMOS, Smart PLS etc.

Seminar on “Writ ing Winning Research Proposals” was conducted on April 11, 2018 at IST. Dr. Zahoor Sarwar enlightened the participants on the purpose of writing a research proposal, creating standardized framework, details to supplement a complete research proposal using online and offline resources for writing, editing and proofreading.

Business Incubation Centre (BIC)

IST in collaboration with HEC has established

Business Incubation Center (BIC) to provide a

conducive and suppor t ive en t repreneur ia l

environment, adequate resources and services to the

IST’s faculty, students, alumni and general public to

nurture and commercialize their innovative ideas and

business ventures. The core objective for the

establishment of IST BIC is to create a new breed of

entrepreneurs, who believe in their passion and would

like to become the job creator rather the job seeker. The

management of IST has envisioned IST BIC as one of

the Business Development Services (BDS) provider,

to serve & support the local entrepreneurial eco-

system and contributing to the socio-economic

development of the country. Intended incubates can

incubate their business either through hiring a physical

space or they can avail the services of IST BIC through

virtual incubation by working at their own space of

convenience.


January- June 2018

Volume: 1 Issue: 1




IST BIC is also a partner organization to the initiative

of the HEC and the International Labor Organization

(ILO) to implement internationally recognized

enterprise development program of ILO i.e., Start and

Improve Your Business (SIYB). IST BIC regularly

organizes various events, workshops, seminars and

lectures to promote and inculcate a culture of

innovation and entrepreneurship among IST faculty

members, students, alumni and stakeholders.

IST Business Acceleration Program

IST Business Acceleration Program is an intense four

months acceleration program providing a launching

platform, prototype/ market value product

development facilitation, monitoring, coaching,

business development and enterprise management

facilitation to passionate IST students for launching

their own technology/ non-technology based startups

with high growth potential.

IST BIC has completed its first round of acceleration

program in March 2018. Seven startups got a chance to

secure their position in the first round. Four out of

seven startups, successfully graduated from these

program and they are at various stages of their growth

cycle.

IST BIC organized an international event ActInSpace

Pakistan, as part of global network of ActInSpace

innovation contests, initiated by the French Space

Agency (CNES) and supported by the European Space

Agency (ESA) & ESA Business Incubation Centers

Network. During the 24 hours, hackathon teams

alongside business mentors and technical experts

translated their imagination and design for innovative

services and products. Six teams participated in the

event. More than 8 mentors and 2 business coaches

with a wide range of expertise were made available to

ActInSpace Pakistan 2018

the teams to assist the teams as much as they could.

Mr. Yusuf Hussain, CEO Ignite (former ICT R&D

Fund) was the chief guest on the occasion. The final

presentations to contest for national winner from

Pakistan began on May 26, 2018. The teams presented

their unique propositions and finished projects in front

of a well- recognized jury comprising of the most

respected names in Pakistan. Judges for the event were

Mr. Sayyed Ahmad Masud, Dr Khuram Iqbal, Mr.

Talha Izhar and Mr. Uzair Sukhera. Ms. Nida Athar

and Mr. Muhammad Zulkifil Ahmad also attended the

presentations as observers. Mr. Athar Osama, Member

(S&T and ICT), Planning Commission, Government

of Pakistan graced the occasion as Chief Guest on the

eve of the closing ceremony and also awarded prizes/

certificates to the winning teams.

Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers

(PAAPAM) organized its 14th Edition of the annual mega event to showcase the

potential of the Auto Engineering Sector of Pakistan. IST startup founders,

Students and Faculty actively participated in the event.


January- June 2018

Volume: 1 Issue: 1



January- June 2018www.ist.edu.pk/oric6

Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM)

Mr. Nazir Ahmad Vaid, Chief Executive Officer at FINATRA Group, Regional

Chief at ASK Development and CEO at NexSource visited Business Incubation

Center on January 4, 2018. He shared his valuable entrepreneurial experiences and

gave some important suggestions to the potential entrepreneurs for launching their

own startups.

Business Incubation Center organized a Workshop on "Branding and Elevator Pitch" on

March 22, 2018 for startup founders and aspiring entrepreneurs. Resource person for the

said workshop was Mr. Sayyad Ahmad Masud, Managing Partner at both Launchpad

Interactive and at Channel 7 Communications.

also organized following guest speaker sessions for the startup founders of Business

Acceleration Program:

Changing the Mindset from an Engineer to an Entrepreneur by Dr Ansar Rajput

Product Design and Development by Dr Omar Masood Querashi

Intellectual Property Rights by Dr Zahoor Sarwar

University Based Startups by Dr Arshad Islam

IST BIC in collaboration with HEC organized an Entrepreneurship Bootcamp on April 23-26, 2018 for the startup

founders, faculty members, students and professionals. Dr Nauman Farooqi, Professor at Mount Allison University

Canada was the principal resource person for the Bootcamp. The bootcamp was attended by 40 participants including

faculty members from NUST, NTU, Ripha International University

and UVAS. Besides, six startups also participated in the bootcamp.

Following guest speaker sessions were also arranged:

Block Chain Technology by Mr. Jawad Sadiq

ADSL by Dr Omar Masood Querashi

Freelancing by Mr. Ghulam Abbas

MAPs BioTech; a startup by Ms. Palwasha Saqib

Talking Gloves; best FYP of class 2018 in Electrical

Engineering department by Ms. Hina Shaheen

Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

Guest Speakers


January- June 2018

Volume: 1 Issue: 1



January- June 2018www.ist.edu.pk/oric 7

The project “Density Based Traffic Management System” won third prize at “Innovation in Police – March 2018” conference jointly organized by HEC and Islamabad Police.

Map's Bio Tech Pvt. Ltd.; a startup out of the first cohort of IST BAP won the first prize in Elevator Pitching competition at Women Entrepreneurship Conference (WECon 2018). The conference was held on March 31, 2018 at University of Central Punjab, Lahore. The startup founders, Ms. Maham Qureshi and Ms. Palwasha Saqib pitched their product; Sleep Apnea Diagnosis Device.

Mr. Ahmer Rafi, Head (IST BIC) participated in the international workshop on “Foresight and Innovation Policy” at

Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from May 10 to 14, 2018. The workshop was co-organized

by the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Pakistan and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM),

Malaysia in co-sponsorship with the Islamic Development Bank, Saudi Arabia.

Generate Your Business idea (GYB)

Ms. Abir Raza, General Manager (ORIC) conducted a Training of Entrepreneurs (ToE) workshop on May 14-16, 2018 at International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI). The workshop was being organized as a part of Entrepreneurship Drive 2018.

First module of SIYB; Generate Your Business idea (GYB) was imparted and this comprised of a blend of lecturing, case studies, group activities and business simulation game. The beneficiaries of the training intervention were 25 potential women entrepreneurs with Finance and Management background.

It was more of an ideation workshop for stretching participants’ minds to come up with viable business ideas. Effectiveness of the training intervention was supported by daily reaction and end of training evaluation.

Participation in the International Workshop on Foresight and Innovation Policy

Awards and Recognition

Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC)

Institute of Space Technology

(+92) 51-9075507 (+92) 51-9273310

[email protected] http://www.ist.edu.pk/oric

1, Islamabad Highway, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

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A Bi-annual Chronicle of ORIC INSTITUTE OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY