Pakistan to launch 'Quantum Valley' in partnership with Cambridge University

May 22, 2025 (MLN): Pakistan is set to launch Quantum Valley, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, as the nation’s version of Silicon Valley and the most ambitious techno-national initiative in the country’s history.

This was stated by Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, during a high-level strategic meeting to review progress on the landmark initiative Quantum Valley Pakistan.

During the meeting, Dr. Najeeb Ullah briefed participants on the strategic design framework of Quantum Valley Pakistan, which has been developed in collaboration with the renowned St John’s Innovation Centre at the University of Cambridge.

The Centre, a global leader in enterprise and technological innovation, has played a pivotal role in shaping this visionary concept aimed at transforming Pakistan into a regional hub for advanced science, technology, and high-tech entrepreneurship.

Dr. Najeeb noted that the idea was formally explored during Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s recent visit to the University of Cambridge, where discussions were held on leveraging UK-Pakistan collaboration to promote research, innovation, and industrial advancement.

He stated that the project will include state-of-the-art science parks specializing in emerging technologies such as agri-tech, biotechnology, advanced materials, and minerals, as per the press release issued.

It aims to promote civil-defense fusion in R&D for economic development, fast-track high-tech industrialization, and localize global innovation models to meet national needs by targeting Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3 to 6.

“This is the first major initiative under our Science, Technology, and Engineering for Development (STED) program", he said.

"Pakistan is taking concrete steps to evolve into a knowledge-based, techno-economic power", Ahsan Iqbal further noted.

"For the first time, we are integrating all components of the innovation ecosystem, including civil-military fusion—mirroring the early development of Silicon Valley,” said the Minister.

Outlining past efforts, Minister Ahsan Iqbal remarked that the journey began with the launch of Vision 2010.

This was followed by the allocation of 10,000 PhD scholarships to create a critical mass of scientists, technologists, and researchers, and the establishment of National Centers for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Big Data, and Cybersecurity.

After progressing through various stages of capacity building and institutional development, Pakistan has laid the groundwork for future growth.

The time has now come to consolidate these efforts into a robust, integrated innovation ecosystem that will propel the country into the ranks of globally competitive knowledge economies.

The Minister directed that the execution of Quantum Valley Pakistan will be a joint effort involving the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Information Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Defense, and the National Technology Fund (Ignite).

The project is set to play a transformative role in positioning Pakistan at the forefront of global technological innovation.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Najeeb Ullah, Member Science & Technology, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Information Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, and the Ministry of Planning.

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