Pakistan wants to carve out a place for itself in the global semiconductor industry, and it has taken a new step toward that goal. The country has completed the institutional structure of its national chip education and research network, organized around three major regional clusters covering the north, center, and south of the territory.
The move is part of the National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program (NSHRDP), also known as INSPIRE, an initiative through which the Pakistani government aims to build the talent needed to take part in a strategic industry currently dominated by a small group of countries.
The final piece of the project was the addition of NED University of Engineering & Technology as the university responsible for the southern region. The agreement was signed with the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) in Karachi, at an event attended by Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
Three Major Clusters to Build Semiconductor Talent
With NED University’s addition, Pakistan completes the territorial organization of the Semiconductor Education & Research Cluster (SERC) program.
The structure is split into three regions. NUST (National University of Sciences and Technology) will lead the north of the country, ESUPAK-UET Lahore will be responsible for the central region, and NED University will head activities in the south.
All three institutional agreements were finalized during INSPIRE’s first year of operation, which will now allow the program to move into a larger-scale implementation phase.
The initial target is relatively modest. The current SERC intake covers training for 270 students split across the three regions.
The medium-term plans, however, are far more ambitious.
More Than 7,200 Chip Professionals by 2030
Pakistan has set itself the goal of developing more than 7,200 professionals specialized in semiconductors by 2030.
The strategy is especially interesting because the country isn’t initially aiming to compete by building massive chip fabs, a process that requires investments in the billions of dollars and an extremely complex industrial infrastructure. The United States is running into exactly that problem from the other direction: it can build and subsidize fabs, but it can’t produce skilled workers nearly as fast.
The first step will be building human capital.
The industry needs specialists across numerous areas that go well beyond the physical manufacturing of processors. Integrated circuit design, verification, packaging, testing, electronic engineering, and various semiconductor-related technologies are all part of an increasingly extensive value chain.
That’s precisely where Pakistan may find an opportunity to gradually join the international market.
Pakistan Wants a Seat in the Global Semiconductor Chain
Shaza Fatima Khawaja considers the creation of the three clusters an important step toward building an internationally competitive national semiconductor ecosystem.
INSPIRE’s goal isn’t limited to training students. The program aims to lay the groundwork for Pakistani companies, universities, and professionals to take part in different segments of the global chip chain.
This strategy comes at a time when numerous governments are trying to reduce their dependence on a handful of production hubs. The concentration of much of advanced manufacturing in East Asia has turned semiconductors into an economic, industrial, and geopolitical issue.
Pakistan starts from a very different position than the sector’s major powers, and it will still have to prove it can turn its education programs into an industry capable of generating companies, research, and specialized jobs.
But building a homegrown pipeline of engineers is one of the first requirements for getting there.
With the three regional clusters now established, INSPIRE is moving into its full implementation phase. The real test will come over the next few years: making sure the more than 7,200 professionals planned for 2030 don’t just receive training, but find projects, companies, and opportunities within the country that can turn that knowledge into a genuine semiconductor industry.
via: arynews.tv and propakistani.pk
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pakistan’s INSPIRE program?
INSPIRE, formally the National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program (NSHRDP), is a Pakistani government initiative to build the talent needed to take part in the global semiconductor industry through three regional education and research clusters.
Which universities lead Pakistan’s semiconductor clusters?
NUST leads the northern cluster, ESUPAK-UET Lahore leads the central region, and NED University of Engineering & Technology leads the southern cluster, following its agreement with the Pakistan Software Export Board.
How many semiconductor professionals does Pakistan want to train?
The government aims to develop more than 7,200 semiconductor specialists by 2030, starting with an initial intake of 270 students across the three regional clusters.
Is Pakistan planning to build chip factories?
Not initially. The strategy focuses first on building human capital and expertise across areas like design, verification, packaging, and testing, rather than on constructing large fabrication plants.
