NATIONAL INNOVATION GRAND CHALLENGE:

The National Innovation Grand Challenge is Pakistan Innovation Foundation’s signature launch drive that spans over eight months. It is Open Innovation Challenge aimed at inspiring and energizing Pakistani youth, students, professionals, and citizen innovators to find innovative solutions to Pakistan’s development challenges and enhance its competitiveness.

Divided in 3 Phases (‘Design’, ‘Prototyping’,  and ‘Demonstration’), the NIGC process focuses energies and talents on solving specific problems in Energy, Water and Climate, Health and Sanitation, Agriculture and Rural Development, Urban Problems, and ICT for Development. In addition to the specific problem statements, PIF also provided year-round mentoring, training, networking, and seed capital to help participating teams beat the challenge.

Around PKR 3.5 million were awarded as innovation prize money to seven winners of the National Innovation Grand Challenge by our sponsors Indus Motor Company’s IMC Industrial Innovation Prize or Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund’s PPAF Agriculture and Rural Development Prize was awarded to the following:

Dr. Tariq Mahmood (IST) – PKR 1,000,000 PPAF Agri+Rural Innovation Prize

Dr. Akhtar Khalil (iFahja) – PKR 1,000,000 Toyota Manufacturing Innovation Prize

Student Prizes of PKR 500,000 ea. went to Shabnam Javed of Punjab University and Arslan Afzal of University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

Special Prizes of PKR 200,000 ea. went to Team Innofy, Rubina Kausar, and Abdullah Soomro and Team of GIKI.