Pakistan launches semiconductor training initiative, eyes collaboration with Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday launched a national semiconductor training program to develop chip-design expertise and reduce dependence on foreign technology, with officials saying the country also plans to work closely with Saudi Arabia’s semiconductor industry.

The five-year INSPIRE Initiative, valued at Rs 4.8 billion ($17.2 million), aims to train around 3,200 young professionals and establish nine university clusters and six state-of-the-art integrated-circuit laboratories.

Officials said the program will bridge academia, industry and the public sector to build the foundations of Pakistan’s semiconductor ecosystem.

“We have launched two programs,” said Dr. Naveed Shirwani, head of the country’s semiconductor task force. “One will make it easier for Pakistani companies to do business in Saudi Arabia without spending any money, and the other connects our young talent with Saudi semiconductor firms.”

“The National Semiconductor Hub of Saudi Arabia has declared Pakistan its first spoke, linking the two countries to work together,” he added.

Semiconductors, the tiny chips powering everything from smartphones and vehicles to medical equipment and defense systems, have become a global strategic priority.

Supply-chain disruptions in recent years have prompted countries to localize design and production capacity to secure what many now regard as a cornerstone of economic and national security.

Shirwani said the effort of his team went beyond training or chip design, describing it as a step toward “digital sovereignty.”

He maintained if Pakistan did not have control over its own data, connectivity or ability to extract knowledge from it, it would be hard to say it was truly in its possession.

He also pointed out that these capabilities depended cybersecurity and semiconductors. You can’t run a hospital or a school if we don’t have our own semiconductors.

“This is the first step,” he continued. “We are starting training, but eventually we have to establish our entire semiconductor industry. We have no other choice.”

Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima said the initiative marked Pakistan’s movement toward a trillion-dollar global market projected to need one million skilled workers by 2030.

“We are trying to create a complete chip-design and research ecosystem for Pakistan,” she said, stressing that international collaboration would be critical.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who inaugurated the program, said nations that control artificial intelligence and semiconductors “will control the future of the world.”

He assured the participants at the gathering that his administration would provide additional funding to keep the initiative rolling whenever required.

- This story originally appeared on Arab News Pakistan