Why Scientific Research is Imperative for Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development in Pakistan

Indigenous scientific research is vital for a country’s long-term economic growth. The simple transference of technology or acquisition of expertise ultimately has developmental limitations. Examples from the hydrocarbon industry clearly illustrate this paradox: oil-rich developing countries can afford to procure expert advice with ease, but rarely develop the new skills essential to make the next technological breakthrough or scientific paradigm shift. Underlying this failing is often the absence of a culture of open scientific enquiry. For resource-deficient countries, this is compounded by the dearth of infrastructure. Such countries argue that they cannot afford to finance scientific research, although this does not always require large investments up front. Software research and development is a good example, requiring primarily technical knowhow, skilled labor and a desire for innovative success. The deficit of scientific research in Pakistan stems from many of these factors, even though the requisite human resources are available in abundance. Innovation and entrepreneurship requires a special mix of encouragement and incentives from the government and industry. This paper outlines some of these issues based on the author’s experience of several decades of research leadership and funding in the US and Europe, and his involvement in transferring advanced scientific knowledge to developing as well as developed countries.