Pakistan has completed the institutional framework for its national semiconductor education and research clusters with NED University of Engineering & Technology formally joining the South Region under the government’s semiconductor development programme.

Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and NED University in Karachi on Saturday, formally designating NED as the Lead University for the South Region of the Semiconductor Education & Research Cluster (SERC).

The South Region will operate alongside NUST in the North and ESUPAK-UET Lahore in the Central Region, completing all three SERC institutional agreements under the National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program (NSHRDP) and INSPIRE.

The development marks a key step in Pakistan’s effort to build a skilled workforce for the global semiconductor industry, an increasingly important part of the technology supply chain.

According to the ministry, the current SERC intake will train 270 students across the three regions, while the broader national programme aims to develop more than 7,200 semiconductor professionals by 2030.

Speaking at the ceremony, Shaza Fatima said the initiative was aimed not merely at training students but at creating the foundations for Pakistan to become a competitive participant in the global semiconductor value chain.

Sindh Governor Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi said the partnership reflected the government’s commitment to developing a knowledge-based economy and expressed confidence that it would prepare Pakistani youth for opportunities in the international semiconductor sector.

With all three regional clusters now formally established, INSPIRE is set to move into full-scale implementation, opening a new phase in Pakistan’s efforts to develop semiconductor expertise and strengthen its technology-driven economy.