SCO, KIU and PITB signs MoU for establishment of Technology Incubation Center at KIU Gilgit

Special Communications Organization (SCO), Karakoram International University (KIU) and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) signed an agreement for mutual cooperation in establishment of Incubation Center at KIU premises in Gilgit.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Brigadier Muhammad Maqbool Ahmed, Deputy Director General SCO, Dr Attaullah Shah, Vice Chancellor KIU, Gilgit and Mr. Azfar Manzoor, Chairman PITB in the presence of Major General    Ali Farhan HI (M), Director General SCO.

This MoU aims to cooperate and exchange knowledge, resources, ideas, expertise and other relevant services between three departments. This mutual cooperation would also lead towards nurturing youth with digital skills and establishing new start-ups leading to job creation and economic growth in the region.

The initiative began an year ago when SCO & KIU decided to join hands to set up Gilgit- Baltistan’s first “Software Technology Park” and “Technology Incubation Center”. In this regard SCO’s Software Technology Park is operational at Konodas Gilgit since October 2020 and is creating an environment for research and innovation in the field of IT by honing and harnessing skills of brilliant youth of the region.  SCO aims to provide state of the art networking facilities and compatible internet connectivity for this new incubation centre at KIU Gilgit. Establishment of this centre will give opportunity to IT and computer science graduates to connect with global market and enhance their skills as well as to explore and expertise in the field of software development.

In continuation of the SCO’s IT Initiative in GB,recently, a MoU was also signed between SCO and Aga Khan Foundation (Pakistan) to support communities in GB to attain maximum economic benefits from larger development initiatives such as CPEC by using ICT as major source of employment and economic returns.