FOREWORD

The power to achieve self-sustained socio-economic progress by the developing countries, to a great extent, lies in their capacity  to utilize the scientific research results and innovations into new products, processes or industries. This capacity not only helps in creation and upgrading of indigenous technologies, but also helps to exploit scientific research results or to acquire, develop, diffuse and manage technologies available abroad for their economic benefits.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has always accorded a high priority to those programmes which have direct bearing on the socio-economic development of the Member States. Under Science programmes, various activities are conducted to promote university-industry interaction in order to develop necessary support systems leading to technological innovations. Efforts  are made to identify and tackle various obstacles being faced by the research institutions or university laboratories for technological innovation of their industries. The present “Analytical Study on Problems and Issues of Transfer of Scientific Research Results to the Production Sector” is a small step in this direction.

The Study has been prepared by Dr. S. M. Junaid Zaidi, Director, Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS)- Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) and Mr. Tahir Naeem, Project Manager, Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB), Islamabad, Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Study  provides a closer look and in-depth examination of the complex issues in the transfer of the scientific research results and suggests various measures in strengthening the necessary supportive system to facilitate university-industry interaction process. Recommendations to governments, policy-makers, research and development institutions, industry and entrepreneurs are also given. ISESCO is grateful to the experts for the efforts they exerted in the preparation of the present Study.

It is hoped that the Study will provide useful information in successful utilization of scientific innovations and new technologies and will guide especially the scientists and researchers in universities and research centers, government officials, decision-makers, science and technology policy-makers and entrepreneurs in establishing a productive and meaningful linkage between universities and industries to utilize it for the economic benefits.

Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri
Director General
ISESCO