ISLAMABAD: The Special Technology Zone Authority (STZA) is inviting 4,000 Chinese technology firms to Pakistan in August 2022 to work on IT cooperation.
Hamza Saeed, Director of Strategic Planning and Client Services at STZA, told WealthPK that the Authority has developed a multi-pronged strategy with Chinese tech stakeholders. The Foreign Office of Pakistan has a special section for Chinese affairs, while the STZA has introduced a comprehensive strategy with Pakistani embassy in China about outreach of Chinese businesses.
“Pakistani Ambassador to China Moinul Haq has engaged 200 Chinese companies by sending invitation letters to them,” Hamza said.
The official said Chinese companies take a keen interest in the STZA plans. He said China has announced a $400 billion plan on semi-conductors in chip designing technology.
“China needs 0.5 million chip developers — 0.2 million designers are available internally in China, while it is looking for 0.3 million designers in other countries. We are also engaged with China to provide chip designing services. This strategic cooperation is being negotiated on agreement level,” he said.
Hamza said the STZA is also part of Joint Working Group of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is organized under the Ministry of Information Technology.
“We are going to make an official agreement with Z-Park in Beijing in September 2022. Under that agreement, a China-Pakistan Technology Center will be built in both countries as a joint venture,” he said.
The official said the STZA is in touch with the Pakistan embassy in China. Technology cooperation with Chinese tech sector is a priority of Pakistani embassy in China. The STZA also shared a cooperation framework with science counselor of Chinese embassy in Islamabad about the capacity building of government officials in IT learning.
“China has worked wonders in the technology world. We are working to cooperate in knowledge transfer and exchange. The STZA also wants to learn about China’s public policy,” he said.
Hamza said the STZA is a regulator, and it invites the public and private sector for technology cooperation. He said that Islamabad Technology Zone is going to be the only zone developed by Pakistan on its own.
“The purpose of Islamabad Technology Zone is to demonstrate to the provinces that how a technology zone is built, because the technology of IT zone is very new in Pakistan. We are also building the capacity of IT officials in the federal and provincial institutes,” he said.
