The Innovation and Technology Centre (ITC) was established in April 2015 with an aim to promote
innovation, vital for growth in Pakistan. The Directors of the Centre are Dr. Azam Amjad Chaudhry,
Dean and Professor, Faculty of Economics, and Dr. Theresa Thompson Chaudhry, Professor, Faculty of
Economics.
The Lahore School of Economics’ Innovation and Technology Centre (ITC) is a platform for academics,
the business community and the public sector to collaborate in areas of economic and social
importance, including innovation and technology, macroeconomic and microeconomic constraints facing
firms, productivity growth, manufacturing, export promotion, and environmental sustainability. In
addition to its internationally recognized academic output produced every year, the ITC conducts
annual surveys of manufacturers, exporters and policymakers on business confidence, technology
adoption, innovation, and export competitiveness.
The Centre enjoys a wide range of connections with top-level policymakers (at both the federal and
provincial levels), the Chambers of Commerce of various major cities of Pakistan (many of which it
has collaborated with on a project by project basis) and manufacturers (with whom it has interacted
during projects and extensive survey work).
The ITC is currently engaged in a variety of exciting projects measuring innovation in the soccer
ball industry, readymade garments sector, light engineering sector, automotive sector, surgical
goods sector, and other export sectors, as well as developing models that estimate the poverty gap
in Pakistan and model Pakistan’s macroeconomy. Currently, the research team is also working on a
soccer ball project which examines the impact of subsidizing high-quality inputs on quality
up-gradation in the soccer ball manufacturing sector, as well as projects analyzing innovation and
technology in the Sialkot surgical goods sector, the overall Pakistani textile sector, the light
engineering sector, and Punjab automotive sector.
The ITC and the Lahore School of Economics in WTO Chairs Programme
The Lahore School of Economics’ ITC was the only institution from Pakistan, among seventeen other
universities from a selection of least-developed and developing member countries, chosen to
participate in the prestigious WTO Chairs Programme. The role of the ITC, as part of the WTO Chair
Programme, would be to enhance knowledge and understanding of the international trading system among
academics and policy makers in the country.
The objectives of the WTO Chair at the Lahore School of the Economics are threefold: First, to
further the understanding of trade related issues (including trade theory, implications of
restrictions on trade, the role of international bodies like the WTO, etc.) amongst students, the
business community, policy makers and other stakeholders. Second, to conduct timely, relevant, and
broadly inclusive research on trade related issues which is not only of the highest academic quality
but is also relevant to stakeholders. Third, to disseminate the findings of its activities (both
research and stakeholder consultations) to a broader audience through an effective dissemination
campaign.
Vision Statement:
The Innovation and Technology Center produces and will continue to produce world-class research in
innovation and technology management. It will provide a platform where international researchers,
academics, businesses and the public sector work in partnership to find solutions to challenges
facing firms and supporting the public sector’s industrial development goals in key sectors.
Mission Statement:
The Innovation & Technology Center (ITC) mission is to:
Conduct collaborative research on innovation and productivity.
Conduct surveys on innovation and technology, business confidence, export growth and
environmental sustainability.
Collaborate with the government on policy using evidence based research focusing on exports
and technological upgradation in the manufacturing sector.
Work with the business community, including Local Chambers of Commerce, and other industrial
organizations to promote technological innovations in Pakistan.
PLANNED ACTIVITIES:
The ITC’s planned research agenda consists of four parts:
The centre plans to continue to collect data and conduct primary research on trade-related
issues. This includes new surveys of exporters to measure the impact of the global pandemic
on Pakistani trade, the national and international constraints faced by Pakistani exporters
in strategic sectors, and identifying areas of potential growth in exports.
The Centre plans to investigate the relationship between environmental sustainability and
trade as part of its research agenda. The ITC plans to work together with the Lahore School
Department of Environmental Sciences to look at these environmental issues more
closely.
The Centre plans to work with policy makers to encourage evidence-based policy decisions. In
particular, we propose that the ITC provide evidence based analysis to Pakistani policy
makers on trade-related issues in order to support the development of trade policy.
The Centre plans to conduct workshops and seminars with a variety of stakeholders to develop
a comprehensive strategy for sustained and equitable economic growth.
People
