COMSATS Experience of Networking SMEs in Pakistan

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COMSATS Experience of Networking SMEs in Pakistan

• Dr. Hameed A. Khan
• Executive Director
• COMSATS

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COMSATS
Comission on Science and Technology for
Sustainable Development in the South
Brainchild of Dr. Abdus Salam Legacy of his
Vision and his Untiring Efforts for ST
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Commission on Science and Technology for
Sustainable Development in the South
Twenty-One countries are member from three
continents Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Following are some pro-active members of COMSATS

• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Senegal
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Tanzania
• Tunisia
• Uganda
• Zimbabwe

• Bangladesh
• China
• Colombia
• Egypt
• Ghana
• Jamaica
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Nigeria

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Mission

• Science Technology Led Sustainable
  Development (socio-economic) in the South
  through South-South North- South Cooperation

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Organizational Objectives

• Sensitizing the Countries of the South to
• The Centrality of Science
• Allocate Resources for Research
• Integrate Science Policy with National and
  Regional plans
• Networking of International Science and
  Technology Centers
• Leadership and Support for Regional Cooperation
  initiatives
• Training
• Exchange of Scientists
• Scholarships
• Joint Research Projects

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COMSATS Thrust Areas

• Key Thrust Areas are
• Agriculture Biotechnology
• Information Communication Technologies (ICTs)
• Natural Products
• Materials
• Climate Change and Environment Protection
• Mathematical Modelling

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Network of Intl ST Centres of Excellence

• The Biosphere Reserve Beni, Biology Station
  (BBS), Bolivia
• National Research Centre for Agrobiology, Brazil
• International Centre of Climate Environmental
  Sciences (ICCES), China
• Centro Internacional de Fisica Edificio, Colombia
• National Research Centre (NRC), Egypt
• International Centre for Material Science and
  Technology (ICMST) , Ghana
• Iranian Research Organization for Science and
  Technology (IROST), Iran
• International Centre for Environmental and
  Nuclear Sciences (ICENS), Jamaica
• Royal Scientific Society (RSS), Jordan
• National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Nigeria
• International Centre for Chemical Biological
  Sciences (ICCBS), Pakistan
• Higher Institute for Applied Science and
  Technology (HIAST), Syria
• Tanzania Industrial Research and Development
  Organisation (TIRDO), Tanzania
• Marmara Research Centre (MRC), Turkey

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Network Objectives

• To develop and maintain critical Mass of
  World-class Scientists and Technologists
• To develop indigenous capacities
• Reduce brain-drain
• Transfer of technology among the members
• Regional Cooperation, in particular South-South
  Cooperation
• ST Assessment and Management
• Joint Ventures amongst Members

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COMSATS ACCREDITATION BY UNITED NATIONS AS AN
INTER-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION

• COMSATS was accredited as an Inter-Governmental
  Organization (IGO) with the United Nations
  Protocol and Liaison Service.
• The international recognition came prior to the
  UN World Summit on Sustainable Development
  (WSSD), held from 26 August 4 September, 2002,
  at Johannesburg, South Africa.

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PROGRAMMES

• Network of International ST Centres of
  Excellence in the South (14 Nodes)
• Short-term Training, Ph.D. Scholarship, Exchange
  of Scientists
• COMSATS Internet Services 1996
• COMSATS IT Institute (CIIT) 1998
• University Campuses
• Islamabad Campus, Lahore Campus, Wah Campus,
  Abbottabad Campus and Attock Campus,
  COMSATS-COMSTECH-MTM IT Centre Karachi
• COMSATS-COMSTECH-Syria IT Centre, Damascus
• COMSATS COMSTECH MTM IT Centre, Karachi

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Programmes

• SMEs Development (China Expo - October 99)
• Renewable Energy Programmes (UNESCO)
• Publications (Science Vision (Since 1995), News
  Views (2001) and a series of ST books on
  specialised topics)
• French Online (Alliance Francaise)
• Online Scientific and Technical Information
  Centre
• (HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, Karachi)

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Programmes

• Contractual Research (Plant Tissue Culture
  Technology NARC)
• Tele-health Centre (Pak-MT-USA-Inc)
• COMSATS-CERN-High Energy Computation Centre
• Bio-technology Portal
• ISESCO Web Portal

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COMSATS established a biotechnology portal for
the Government of Pakistan www.ncb.gov.pk
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COMSATS established a Islamic World Science Net
for ISESCO, Morocco www.icpsr.org.ma
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NETWORKING SMEs IN PAKISTAN

• COMSATS UNIDO SMEDA SBFC Collaboration for
  an
• INDUSTRIAL INFORMATION NETWORK (IIN)
• SMEs Role in Developing Economies
• SMEs 400,000
• Leather and Textile Sector 140,000
• Major Job Opportunity Provider
• SMEs are Earning Foreign Exchange (25Export)
• Contribute 18 to GDP

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The Project Industrial Information Network (IIN)

• Largest source of Information Dissemination
• Biggest E-commerce portal in Pakistan (one stop
  shop)
• Provide services in Urdu English
• Specifically designed for SMEs
• Market Pakistani Products Worldwide

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Issues Related to SMEs

• Lack of Knowledge
• International Standards
• Technology update
• International Market Business opportunity
• Entrepreneurship Development
• Financial Services

• Training HRD
• Government Regulation
• Export regulation
• Taxation
• Raw material
• Marketing

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NEED ASSESMENT (GALLOP)

• Thematic Lines
• E-Readiness
• Information Needs
• Channels of Information
• Expectations from Information Network
• Usage Pattern of Credit Card
• Share of Exports

• Industrial Sectors
• Textile
• Leather

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Project Objectives

• To increase e-Readiness of SMEs
• To provide a virtual market place in order to
  promote SMEs
• To provide a one-stop-shop to SMEs formal major
  industrial sectors
• To help improve quality of products/services of
  SMEs
• To provide a platform to SMEs to reach new
  markets and clients
• To provide information on latest technologies
• To offer distance-learning courses
• To increase inflows of SMEs investments

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SERVICES OF IIN

• Information Services
• Information to be available in Urdu English
• SME related rules, regulations, policies
• Information on markets
• Training development
• Sources of finance, raw material and new
  technologies
• Investment opportunities
• Access to technology
• Access to Service Providers
• Certification (ISO)/Quality Assurance
• Online Trading
• Trade leads and RFQ submission facility
• Forms and Procedures related to regular business
  operations
• Industrial cooperation activities

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SERVICES OF IIN

• E-Commerce Services
• Biggest E-commerce portal in Pakistan
• SMEs be able to setup and run virtual shops with
  minimal technical assistance
• Trading on raw material to finished goods
• E-Auctions facility
• Developed specifically with Pakistani market
  (SMEs) in mind
• Virtual Marketplace

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Target Beneficiaries

• Small and Medium Enterprises
• Local Manufacturers Exporters
• Initially from leather and textile
• Later from all SME sectors
• Trade Associations
• Chamber of Commerce
• IT Infrastructure Providers
• Service Providers and Support Institutions for
  SME sectors

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Project Benefits

• Enhanced productivity and Value Addition
• Improved Quality
• Access to world markets
• Increased business activity
• International trade
• Higher exports
• Access to technology
• Training
• Increased inflow of investment
• Low Inflation, employment and reduced level of
  poverty

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COMSATS Contribution

• Software Development
• Technical plan
• Requirement analysis
• Design development
• Testing deployment
• Management maintenance
• Web Hosting
• Website administration management
• Co-Organizing Thematic Seminars
• Content Development, etc

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COMSATS ROLE in IIN

• Technical in Nature as well as Coordination
• Our Strength remained to be our strong grip on
  Information Technology
• Internet Service Provider (ISP)
• IT University (Education Training)
• Software Development Unit

After the Successful Implementation of IIN Portal
it was handed over to Ministry of Industries,
Govt. of Pakistan
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Launching of IIN in Pakistan

• Industrial Information Network (IIN) initiated
  in 2001, formally launched in May 2002
• Inaugurated by D.G UNIDO, Vienna

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Snapshots of latest website by SMEDA
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COMSATS Proposed Collaboration With INSME (PDU)

• COMSATS would like to Join Forces with INSME as
  its Partner for National /Regional Development
• Common areas of activities may be co-organizing
  of thematic training programs/ seminars
• The prospective of collaboration are very bright
  between COMSATS INSME
• The step wise collaboration is expected to be
  more fruitful and productive

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Proposed Future Activities
As taken from INSME questionnaire
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Proposed Themes
As taken from INSME questionnaire
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Roadmap / Frame of work

• COMSATS in collaboration with INSME intends to
  initially launch its programs in a few of its
  member countries (like Bangladesh, Jordan,
  Tunisia or China)
• COMSATS would follow the same strategic approach
  it had pursued in Pakistan, i-e., to identify the
  informational, organizational, policy and
  regulatory needs of SMEs in a country, identify
  clusters and map them, identify key players in a
  state machinery and private parties and involve
  them, and finally to undertake innovative means
  for networking the SMEs (e-portal, B2B and B2C
  virtual resources).

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Roadmap / Frame of work

• Conduct exploratory workshops and seminars
• Mobilize national chambers of commerce and trade
  associations and the SMEs.

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Thank You!