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INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

MANAGEMENT IN PAKISTAN
Waqas Ayub
Department of Engineering Management, CECOS University Peshawar
Email: waqasayub44@yahoo.com

AbstractA qualitatively good and quantitatively profitable

innovation is a key indicator of prosperous country. Such innovations are result of sensible technology management. Developed
countries like USA, japan and Western Europe follows holistic
technology management strategies and as a result such countries
are the sources of new innovations. The methodology used in this
paper is problem identification and solution proposition .This
paper focuses on theoretical and conceptual framework analysis
for managing innovation and technology in Pakistan. Hence by
identifying issues and challenges in innovation and technology
management and we come up with proposed solutions.
Index TermsInnovation, Technology, Management, Pakistan.

I. I NTRODUCTION
Innovation is to think out of box and think differently. Its
all about finding new things, ideas, concepts, developments,
improvements, and ways to do things and to obtain strategic
advantages. Some innovations are based on already existing
form, composition, process, and idea while some are based
on radical or breakthroughs. Business Innovators may defined
it as new idea, method or device that meets the needs of a
targeted customer-base and that is accessible to them which
creates something that has financial value to the company.
Sometimes, innovation is referred as new technology, but many
innovations are neither new or involves new technology. In
todays highly globalised and technologically advanced world,
the companies or countries with obsolete technology, poor
management of technology, old way of thinking, and obsolescent production process cannot exist in highly competitive
globalize economy. Companies having advanced technology
but lacking the proficient technical skills, required knowledge and capacity, and poor management of technology are
worthless. Its the management of technology which makes
profit not the technology itself. Technology may also refer
as core technology (manufacturing process), high technology
(computer based technology as microelectronics, fiber optic,
satellite communication, robotics and multimedia) and service
technology (consumed and intangible). The paper is also
intended to stimulate the exchange of ideas and new initiatives
for innovation and technology management in developing
countries.
II. I SSUES AND C HALLENGES IN D EVELOPING
C OUNTRIES
In the pre-industrial phase, educational needs demand only
basic literacy while in post-industrial phase, more technical,

professional skills are required. What is the source of new

idea or new technology, definitely, one of the answers is
educational institutions. The world top universities belong
to developed world. If we see in the world ranking of top
100 universities [1], only 3universities belong to developing
countries and remaining 97universities belong to developed
countries (North America: 4419with entrepreneurs and most
of the academies are also entrepreneurs by themselves. We
suggest, an action plan should be developed at strategic level
to re-structure educational institutions to meet the challenges
in field of applied research. A close collaboration among
academic institutions, business and industry is suggested. The
establishment of an environment is needed where academies
can share their research efforts with entrepreneurs and a commercialized approach should be searched for new innovations
and emerging technologies. There is a need for all engineers in
the developing countries to be trained toward meeting specific
developing countries, issues and problems, whether trained in
the U.S, European or their own country. The experience of
China and India suggests that the government have realized
its role in developing of new technology and managing innovation. For next 15 years China planned Medium-to-LongTerm Plan for the Development of Science and Technology,
to become an innovationoriented society by the year 2020,
and a global leader in science and technology by mid-century.
The establishment of The National Innovation Foundation
and Rural Innovation Network (RIN) at government level in
India to promote the grass root innovation, technology and
indigenous knowledge is the best example of government
support to innovation and technology management. The core
sectors need to be identified and prioritized for RandD. We
suggest that initiatives for RandD should be taken at state and
company level.
III. C ONCLUSION
In this paper, an attempt has been made to point out key
problems in innovation and technology management, which
requires thorough investigation.Developing countries are still
dependant on developed world technology. But the challenge
is how to approach the issues faced by developing countries.
The existence of chief technology management component,
developed infrastructure, coordination and linkages development between educational institutions and business world, up
gradation of knowledge and skills in the context of countrys
specific technical, cultural and social environment are only

part of indicators of innovation and technology management.

Future considerations involve a detailed survey of issues and
challenges being faced by companies in developing countries.
This could initiate further development in the process of
innovation and management of technology in developing world
companies.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author of this paper would like to thank Dr. Zahidullah
for his guidance and support in writing this paper, as well as,
for helping in selecting the topic and area of research.
R EFERENCES
[1] M. Bajwa and A. Mujib, Introduction to Technology Management, 2nd
edition. Lahore, Pakistan: AP Publishers, 2002.