ISLAMABAD, Dec 24 (APP): The Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan is set to host the landmark “Technology Development Fund (TDF) Impact showcasing 2025 (TIS’25)” on December 30, marking a defining moment in the country’s transition towards a knowledge-based economy.
The event will bring together business leaders, industry experts, policymakers, researchers and investors to witness the scale and maturity of Pakistan’s applied research landscape and the technological solutions emerging from local universities.
Launched with an investment of Rs. 2.9 billion approved under the Public Sector Development Programme, TDF has proven to be a vital engine for national growth by transforming academic intellectual property into tangible economic assets. Over the past several years, TDF has evolved into a national engine for commercialization and technology transfer, linking university-based R&D with industry needs, said a press release issued here Wednesday.
The programme’s footprint has expanded considerably, with 200+ projects awarded to date and 192 already completed.
These projects have collectively produced 192 prototypes and process improvements, 300+ research publications — including 241 in impact factor journals — and a growing portfolio of intellectual property comprising 116 national and international patents.
The momentum of commercialization is equally notable, with 162 technology licenses signed, 18 startup and spin-off initiatives nurtured, and 23 projects generating revenue.
In addition, TDF-backed projects have supported job creation across economic sectors, while universities have benefitted from over Rs. 680 million worth of technical and research equipment added through TDF-supported initiatives.
TIS’25 aims to translate this accumulated impact into an interactive platform where over 100 TDF-funded technologies will be showcased to the country’s industrial and corporate ecosystem. These innovations span over critical domains such as Health, Agriculture, Biotechnology, Engineering, Energy Systems, Environmental Management, and Emerging Technologies.
For industry and private-sector decision-makers, the event offers an opportunity to explore indigenous solutions that reduce import dependence, strengthen supply chains, and improve production efficiency. For investors, it opens access to deal flow based on verified technologies that are backed by academic expertise and prototype validation.
The event will feature a series of focused panel discussions and a fireside chat, bringing together prominent voices from government, academia, and the private sector. These conversations will examine the structural disconnects that have traditionally limited Pakistan’s research-to-market pipeline and highlight ways in which stronger Triple Helix cooperation — among universities, industry, and government — can accelerate value creation.
For businesses grappling with rising input costs and increased competition, the technologies on display at TIS’25 will demonstrate how local innovation can serve as a practical lever for growth. TDF’s growing results are particularly relevant at a time when Pakistan ranks 99th out of 139 countries in the Global Innovation Index 2025 and continues to struggle with low industrial competitiveness and high import dependence. With a youth population of over 62 million, leveraging indigenous innovation is a strategic necessity.
Through demand-driven funding, TRL-based progression frameworks, and stronger commercialization support within universities, TDF is helping convert academic knowledge into economic outcomes, creating pathways for local production, job creation, and technology localization.
For Pakistan’s corporate community and industrial sector, TIS’25 arrives as an important reminder: the solutions to many of the country’s most persistent challenges are being developed within its own universities. What is now required is a stronger bridge between research and industry — a bridge that TDF has built and TIS’25 aims to strengthen further.