National Incubation Center (NIC) Quetta launched by Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BIUTEMS) Quetta. National Incubation Center (NIC) Program that has been designed and funded by Ministry of Information & Telecom, in collaboration with Ignite – National Technology Fund.
At NIC Quetta launch, where the focus was Artificial Intelligence, AI, and Baloch Startups, this translated to some inspirational initiatives including Dee Mengal and Saddam Ali Dehwar, Doch, Baloch handicrafts through eCommerce, Karim Baloch and Rozeena Shaheen, Hope Academy, top school in one of the lowest ranked districts educationally in the country, Muzaffar Ali and Fatima Qadir, eProc, legal case tracking and case histories to shorten resolution cycles, and Ali Gul, SmartHelmet for miners, poisonous gas detection, biorhythm monitoring, and location tracking to safety.
Outstanding AI founders included Gul Muhammad Khan, Electrocure, saved 35% electricity transmission loss in trial, Ahsan Tahir, Techlets, smart content delivery, Naveed Arshad, AI Electricity Simulator to locate renewables and balance loads for net metering, Umar Gilani, EDXlink, remedial coaching for 10th and 11 graders, Masna Bin Umeed, (Maliha Javed Khan could not make it,) Easy Insurance, one-minute insurance provision to people, Malik Jehan, Mera Moweshi, bovine disease diagnostic to increase dairy production and cow life, Hamza Iftikhar, Dealsmash, smart retail, Muhammad Khurram, smartcube, saves 50% of irrigation water.
NIC Quetta and NIC Lahore were designed by Rafia Ilyas, whose exquisite handiwork has elevated her to a national brand. NIC Peshawer Community Manager, Hira Irshad, energized the launch.
NIC Quetta, like NIC Peshawer, is implementing special hatchery services to prep female founders so they can compete on merit for NIC selection. Grassroots engagement is key, both NIC have developed province-wide university engagement networks. In visits to Sbk Womens University Quetta and the historic University of Balochistan, UoB, one discovered visionary Vice Chancellors have surged quantity and quality of graduates. In 5 years, SBK has grown from 1,500 to 10,000+ female students, 1 to 30 PhD in faculty, soon 50, all female, plus new campuses in Pishin, Khuzdar and Noushki. Kudos to the Governor for merit-based appointments! NIC Quetta will closely engage.
