Islamabad (TDI): A delegation from Türkiye met with Pakistan’s Federal Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Shahid Iqbal Baloch, to advance bilateral cooperation in science, technology, innovation, and applied research.
The meeting, held under the agenda “Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Pakistan and Türkiye,” reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to expanding collaboration across key high-impact sectors.
The Turkish delegation was led by Muhammet Kasım Gönüllü, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology, along with İrfan Neziroğlu, Ambassador of Türkiye to Pakistan.
Discussions focused on strengthening institutional linkages and accelerating joint initiatives aligned with the shared vision of innovation-driven growth and industrial modernization.
Officials highlighted that expanding Pakistan–Türkiye cooperation is being pursued in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Khalid Hussain Magsi.
The objective is to promote knowledge-based economic development, enhance competitiveness, and foster sustainable industrial progress.
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Key areas of cooperation include halal certification through collaboration between the Pakistan Halal Authority (PHA) and Türkiye’s Halal Accreditation Agency (HAK), aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s position in the global halal trade market.
In legal and scientific metrology, partnerships are supporting improvements in Pakistan’s national quality and measurement infrastructure.
Cooperation between the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) and the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) is facilitating harmonization of standards to improve access to international markets.
Additionally, joint research initiatives between the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and Türkiye’s Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK) were identified as a flagship component of the bilateral partnership.
Since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in 2013, the PSF–TÜBİTAK collaboration has launched four joint calls for research proposals, attracting 270 submissions.
To date, 33 joint projects have been funded in priority fields including energy, biotechnology, biomedical technologies, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), electric vehicles, food technologies, and oceanography.
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According to officials, these projects have contributed to strengthening Pakistan’s research capacity, developing skilled human resources, and promoting knowledge transfer between institutions in both countries.
Secretary Shahid Iqbal Baloch emphasized that MoST is focused on building international scientific partnerships that deliver measurable results and align with national development priorities.
He noted that Pakistan has increasingly positioned itself as a reliable and outcome-oriented partner in global scientific collaboration.
Both sides agreed to scale up joint initiatives, particularly in advanced research, innovation ecosystems, technology commercialization, and science-based entrepreneurship.
