PESHAWAR, Feb 13: Speakers at a workshop on Monday emphasised the need for promoting links between industrialists and scholars for developing a knowledge-based enterprise sector in Pakistan.

They were addressing a workshop jointly organised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF); a joint venture of United States and Pakistan governments.

The workshop was organised to help the business community, academics and researchers to identify and exploit potential commercial applications for innovations developed at academic institutions.

Adviser to the HEC, Dr Altaf Shaikh said that the HEC was in contact with the industry and helping it develop the much-needed linkages for economic growth through a number of initiatives.

The HEC, he said, had taken a number of steps to involve the industry in curricula review process, encouraging internships in private sector and focusing on applied research by extending financial assistance.

He said that HEC had initiated 22 projects for improving economic growth through technology-based innovation linking three stakeholders, including academia, industry and government.