NIC TIMESVolume 1 September 2018

The National Incubation Center (NIC) Lahore was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Ms. Anusha Rahman Khan at a ceremony held at Lahore University of Management Sciences on December 23, 2017. NIC Lahore houses the first ever Makers Lab in Pakistan, a plug n’ play center; it is a modern facility equipped with the latest technologies and smart hardware to bring ideas to life. The 23,000 square feet space not only incubates and accelerates but also provides business mentorship and growth guidance to incubated companies. With a state of the art Smart Lab, a Design Thinking Lab and various libraries along with an in-house auditorium, NIC is the place to be for new ideas.

61 24 121 121158 158Startups Incubated

Graduated Startups(Cohort 1)

Entrepreneurs trained

Total numberof Men

Micro-entrepreneurs trained

Total numberof Women

COHORT 2

H o m e I n n o v a t i o n

A C T I VAT E D C

C o m i c C o n p k

A g r i M a r t

Va c e e l a

E r y z e

H a t h I n i t i a t i v e

B i g B y t e s

V C P S

T h e W e b T h e a t r e

C a r s 9 2

P o o l e d i n

R e c o n s t r u c t

T r a s h M a s t i

R A D A Te c h n o l o g i e s

T h e S u p p o r t G r o u p

M i t t i G h a r

C a r e e r z 3 6 0

R o a d y ’ s C a f e

H e a l t h H o m i e

C e l e b l i m e

E n t e r t a i n m e n t P a k i s t a n

P r o ’ t a t o

M a w a z n a . c o m

S h a j a r A r t

B o r n R e a l i s t

I l m R o h i

The finalized 31 teams initiated their incubating journey on Monday 2nd July 2018. To commence the grueling, insightful 6 month long journey, the National Incubation Center at LUMS Lahore, welcomed the teams for an interactive orientation session.

Dr. Sarah Qureshi is a force to be reckoned with as she sets out with a team to introduce a sophisticated new feature into the aerospace universe. Born and raised in Islamabad, Qureshi recalls having been raised by a family that valued and encouraged education. She grew up inspired by a mother who possessed a PhD in Quantum Chemistry and a father who tirelessly made a name for himself as a prominent Physicist and Scientist.

She completed her bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from National University of Sciences and Technology and pursued a Master’s in Aerospace Dynamics and a PhD in Aerospace Propulsion, both, from Cranfield University, UK. In conversation with NIC, Qureshi recalls:

SQ: I was very focused and clear about my ambitions from a very young age. After graduating as an engineer and while working in the automotive industry in Pakistan I started to learn flying. I obtained my Private pilot license in Pakistan. During my time at Cranfield University which had its own airport, being the hub of aerospace in Europe I learnt acrobatic flying (loop, spin, hammerhead, barrel roll etc.) of which the most exciting and challenging maneuvers was spinning the aircraft and then recovering it from the spin.

What continued to inspire or motivate you to actively pursue and then retain interest in this field?SQ: Aviation is a passion; you either have it or you don’t. It is not something you do to make a profession. It has to be pursued deliberately and fervently.

As a woman, it is unheard of for someone to go into aviation. Could you describe the response?SQ: I realized that a lot is happening to support women. There are ample women willing to put in the effort; it is the society’s attitude that needs to be amended. Secondly, if we want women to be more involved and contributive, we need to accept children as part of the package. The arrangement cannot be exclusive. Women have a greater risk appetite and can therefore undertake cutting edge endeavors.

Aside from external support, did your exposure as a child played a part in choosing aviation?SQ: Yes, the environment at home and having my father in this profession helped a lot. I worked in the automotive industry and as a student I used to work on engines and machines with my father. I also did a few internships at automobile and engineering plants where I got a lot of hands on practice on the factory floor. Besides even as a child my father had his private set up and both my parents were very involved in teaching us ever since our school days.

Where would you say does the source behind Aero Engine Craft lie?SQ: A major part of this work was also carried out in Pakistan with the support of my father who acted as an external supervisor for the research. That is how my father came up with this breakthrough invention that was granted two international patents. I further developed the entire

engineering model for it during my PhD research. I was offered a university studentship for my masters and PhD. This particular problem was given to me as a research question for my PhD thesis by my supervisor Prof. Pericles Pilidis in 2012.

There are always many roadblocks in the process. Did they ever feel like a hindrance to your goal?SQ: Roadblocks are a part of pursuing your passion. I went for my PhD after my marriage and had to return to Pakistan after one year when my daughter was born. I continued my PhD for a while in Pakistan working at home while caring for a very young child. When I returned to the UK my family was here, I was a single mother there and the challenges of that are completely different. Even as a young girl going into factories, I met with discomfort. However, I do believe the support outweighed the distress and most people treated me professionally. I was the only girl in my undergrad engineering class and I often felt like an outcast; one girl amongst 60 boys. But since I don’t find it in me to give up and because I was so supported, I was overwhelmed by the assistance and never felt hindered.

Did you ever think of staying in the UK? What made you come back to Pakistan?SQ: It was very challenging. Your whole world shifts. You are no longer a single entity. But I believe that when you start something there is a lot of inertia which is why if you begin during the good, you can drag it through the difficult. That is how it was for me. I remember a meeting with my supervisor while I was expecting and I was asked when the baby was due, I said “tomorrow” (laughing).

Since the idea was developed abroad, did you ever feel like you should’ve stayed in the UK?SQ: I was offered to stay there. The response there was excellent and the resources and workspace is incredible. Pakistan lacks the infrastructure and in the UK, the stage is pretty much set for you. You just need to do your bit of work; here in Pakistan everything needs to be done from scratch. You need to first set your own stage before you even get a chance to perform. But that makes your learning curve very steep and it’s a very enriching experience. So, coming back was a personal choice. Pakistan is our identity, this is where we belong and the kind of acceptance and support there is extended here, can’t be found elsewhere.

DR. SARAH QURESHI

AN INTERVIEW WITH At NIC LUMS, how has it been for you to work in the facility and with the NIC team?SQ: It was wonderful. I don’t think anything is possible not just without team effort, but without team credit as well. I was lucky enough to not just be supported by my family but be provided a space by NIC that allowed me to work as per my convenience. I can bring my daughter here and work at my own pace and comfort and I value that a lot amongst other things. NIC enabled me to commercially launch my company Aero Engine Craft (pvt) Ltd as a three-generation startup co-founded by my father and named by my daughter. I would like to acknowledge everyone who has been a part of this journey.

As a pursuer of dreams, when do you think you’ll feel the target of your passion is met? What’s the future?SQ: The future is going to take time because I am aware of the journey I am on. I want to be able to create awareness through it and I know that deep down I am an environmentalist and I want my engine to benefit society and humanity. When all the engines in the world use this technology, and we are able to counter global warming and save the planet, I will feel like the target is met.

Is there any message or food for thought you’d like to give to young entrepreneurs out there?SQ: Value time. It has its worth just like money. My time now has a price because of what I am trying to accomplish. Don’t be frugal with time, make it mean something. Do not follow the trend, rather follow your aptitude and passion; that is where you will be able to excel.

THE CURRENT TEAM;1. Dr. Sarah Qureshi – Founder and Chief Executive

Officer ( Aerospace Engineering)2. Mr. Masood Latif Qureshi – Founder, Inventor

and Chief Technology Officer (Design, Engine Development, Manufacturing and spin-off Inventions)

3. Dr. Pericles Pilidis _ PhD supervisor and Academic Collaborator (Jet Engine Technology)

4. Dr. Romana Qureshi – Combustion Chemist5. Hassan Waqar – Aeronautical Engineer; Aircraft

Performance6. Saif Ul Malook – Mechanical Engineer ;Computational

Fluid Dynamics7. Abdul Ghaffoor –Technician8. Tassaduq Hussain- Machinist9. Adnan Arif –Network Engineer10. Noor Khurram – Data Manager11. Shermeen Ahmed Khan- Consultant; Finance12. Asim Naseer-Consultant; Business Development13. Zahra Qureshi- International Business Collaborator14. Adil Zeshan- Technical Writer and Content Developer15. Maryam Khan – Developer; Contrail Trading

Methodology16. Wali Ali – Developer; Artificial Rainfall Model17. Hamza Mehmood – Graduate Intern; Manufacturing18. Adil Habib – Undergraduate Intern ;Aviation Systems19. Omar Nazir – Undergraduate Intern ;Environment

and Climate20. Nida Rasheed - Graphic Animator

ILM IDEAS 2The National Incubation Center stands firm over the belief that innovative learning is the future and the best way to enable the youth of today for a more promising tomorrow. Keeping this view in mind, the implementation of the ILM Ideas 2 program allowed National Incubation Centre to scout and home some of the sharpest and most pioneering minds in the country. This initiative allowed NIC to incubate more than 15 ed-tech companies.

URBAN YOUTH PROJECT

PROMISING IDEAS

Through the Urban Youth Project, the National Incubation Centre Lahore team was able to practice the power of the youth as common wealth for the world. It wishes to promote equality at every scale throughout the country, regardless of the economic, social or geographic limitations. The program aims to approach a particular income group and aspires to ensure similar opportunities are made accessible in the future. Under this project, NIC empowered 60 microentrepreneurs from the low-income groups of Lahore.

Careerz360Careerz360 is an HR venture set to revolutionize the recruitment industry in Pakistan through the lens of education. It focuses on improving education quality by bridging the gap between industry and academia to ensure that college degrees do not become obsolete. It is a networking platform that provides career opportunities and helps businesses become more

productive and profitable.

BigbytesBigBytes is a group of Technology Educationists who teach people how to make use of the tools of technology, and their creative faculties to solve real-life problems. They believe that the young minds in schools should have the opportunity to experiment with electronics and coding as part of their education to explore the advances of sciences and their applications for a better understanding

of the many fields of science.

RADAAn acronym for Robotics and Automation Development Association, RADA is a Technology based company working for the development and awareness of robotics in Pakistan. The future of RADA is to provide

automation of all sorts.

A C T I V I T I E S @ N I COn 14th August, NIC, RADA Technologies and Greenify Pakistan held a tree plantation drive to commemorate Pakistan’s 71st Birthday. An enormous sum of trees were planted in hopes of contributing to the greater good of the environment and a greener future for Pakistan.

NIC’s DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

www.niclahore.lums.edu.pk www.linkedin.com/in/niclahore/ www.instagram.com/nic.lhr/twitter.com/NICLahore

National Incubation Center Lahore, Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, LUMS, DHA, Lahore, Pakistan 54792