The CPEC might be a game changer. The government’s focus on security, energy and infrastructure holds promise. Yet a sustainable, prosperous and secure future is still hard to imagine without mobilising the country’s most precious asset: its youth.

If afforded the right set of skills to match their potential, and a little angel support, the youth can chart out the future, not just for themselves but for the entire country.

The evolving start-ups scene in Pakistan, particularly ones leveraging information and communication technology (ICT), is testimony to the fact that the tougher the challenge the greater the excitement among young risk-takers to succeed.

The evolving start-ups scene in the country is testimony to the fact that the tougher the challenge the greater the excitement among young risk-takers to succeed

It is a pity that Pakistanis working their way through a chaotic market against many odds did not get to participate in ‘Slush’, the biggest global congregation of starts-ups, held last week in Helsinki, Finland.

It could have provided professionals with a platform to showcase their businesses that are generating jobs and providing marketable solutions in Pakistan, where technology, through mobile phones and internet accessibility, is seeping into everyday life.

From a humble start of a meeting of 300 start-ups ten years back ‘Slush 2016’ brought together 17,000 participants from around the world including about 1,000 investors. All leading technology companies including giants such as Microsoft, Google, Samsung, and their peers were in attendance, along with tech wizards.

Finish Trade Minister Kai Mykkanen, in a side event before ‘Slush’, said that the annual event in November, despite harsh winters, attracts about one fourth of the total number of tourists who visit Finland in a year.

“It has added a sheen to the brand ‘Finland’ that is a forerunner in resolving problems in a sustainable way”. In response to a question on the minimal participation of tech start-ups from South Asia in Slush he said he wished to expand connections in all regions.

Another speaker at a related event said Slush provides a chance for those who care to peek into the minds of future entrepreneurs.

“It provides a forum of direct matchmaking between business aspirants and business promoters and investors. Besides big IT companies could adopt new businesses or recruit talented people with experience of forming and running an IT based company”, he added.

Four Pakistani and some Indian start-ups, organisers informed, were participating but they were not visible in the rush of registered participants and volunteers at the vast venue that looked more like a gaming arena or concert hall, structured and decorated in a very unusual way.

Many participants termed it a unique event that celebrates innovation and termed young programmers gathered in thousands as ‘script writers of the world’s future’.

They talked about the value of the spirit of camaraderie among bright young people from different countries in a world where narrow nationalism seems to be resurging.

“Embracing and promoting the idea of building a future together has become all the more important when there is talk of building walls and erecting barriers”, Christopher Casaca, a US tech genius said in a talk during the two-day event.

The fact is that 2016 proved tough for world leaders and business wizards who were bested twice in the second half of 2016.

The resurgence of parties and movements motivated by narrow nationalism, racial and gender supremacy, etc — thought to be redundant and discarded by history — reminded that the material development of countries do not necessarily transform societies on their own.

Experts in Finland argued that people who consider social responsibility and market competitiveness mutually exclusive need to visit the Nordic region to see the wonders of strong state institutions, partnering with the private sector, delivering baseline quality life to all citizens and creating a space to juggle with new ideas; letting the market validate or trash them.

Earlier Rauli Suikkanen, Ambassador of Finland to Pakistan in an interaction told Dawn in Helsinki that he hoped for a greater participation by Pakistani start-ups in next year’s Slush when Finland would also be celebrating its centenary.

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, December 5th, 2016