Pakistan launches semiconductor training effort and seeks collaboration with Saudi Arabia.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday began a national semiconductor training program to enhance chip-design competence and lessen reliance on foreign technology, with authorities stating that the government also intends to collaborate closely with Saudi Arabia’s semiconductor industry.

The five-year INSPIRE Initiative, worth Rs 4.8 billion ($17.2 million), intends to teach around 3,200 young professionals, construct nine university clusters, and build six cutting-edge integrated-circuit laboratories.

Officials stated the program will bring together academia, industry, and the public sector to provide the groundwork for Pakistan’s semiconductor ecosystem.

“We have launched two programs,” said Dr. Naveed Shirwani, head of the country’s semiconductor task force. “One will make it easier for Pakistani companies to do business in Saudi Arabia without spending any money, and the other connects our young talent with Saudi semiconductor firms.”

“The National Semiconductor Hub of Saudi Arabia has declared Pakistan its first spoke, linking the two countries to work together,” he added.

Semiconductors, the tiny chips powering everything from smartphones and vehicles to medical equipment and defense systems, have become a global strategic priority.

Pakistan Navy ship seizes drugs worth approximately $1 billion in the Arabian Sea.

Supply-chain disruptions in recent years have prompted countries to localize design and production capacity to secure what many now regard as a cornerstone of economic and national security.

Shirwani said the effort of his team went beyond training or chip design, describing it as a step toward “digital sovereignty.”

He emphasized that if Pakistan did not own its own data, connectivity, or ability to extract knowledge from it, it would be difficult to claim ownership.

He also mentioned that these skills relied on cybersecurity and semiconductors.  You cannot operate a hospital or a school until we have our own chips.

“This is the first step,” he added.  “We are beginning training, but ultimately we must develop our complete semiconductor industry.  “We have no other option.”

Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima said the effort reflected Pakistan’s progress toward a trillion-dollar global industry that is expected to require one million trained personnel by 2030.

“We are trying to create a complete chip-design and research ecosystem for Pakistan,” she said, stressing that international collaboration would be critical.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who inaugurated the program, said nations that control artificial intelligence and semiconductors “will control the future of the world.”

He assured the participants at the gathering that his administration would provide additional funding to keep the initiative rolling whenever required.