LAHORE: For the first time in the city, the MakerFest-17 was held here on Saturday under the auspices of the Information Technology University (ITU) in collaboration with its project PlanX and DIY Geeks. ITU Vice Chancellor Dr Umar Saif inaugurated the event. A large number of students from different schools and universities from across Pakistan displayed their inventions, while more than 85 companies and investors attended the event. According to a statement, the event provided a platform for Makers to showcase their passionate innovations and to help the them in getting connected with leading local business community and investors from Pakistan to share, inspire and exchange ideas. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Umar Saif said that MakerFest-Lahore-17 was in continuation of the internationally renowned Maker Faires, hosted across America, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia to celebrate grassroots innovation and invention to encourage creativity to invent solutions to the problems through the use of technology, gadgets, electronics at young age. He said that ‘Makers movement’ was picking up the steam in the world and contributing to add new inventions, innovations and the economies. “The US economy was built on Makers activity and its examples were Facebook and Google initiated by a couple of students,” he stated. He said that it would help to go forward to lay hands on applications, hardware and startups and to commoditise innovations in science and technology and engineering. “The platform enabled the youth and children to invent real solutions to the problems such as producing electricity using solar panels, automating farmers life, regulate water flow, farm land and filtration of contaminated water,” he added. Dr Saif said that such activities would infuse love for science and technology to embrace technology to develop skills and to make innovative products through software-oriented tools, programming, languages, compilers, internet and worldwide web, etc. The event provided a platform for Makers to showcase their passionate innovations and to help the them in getting connected with leading local business community and investors from Pakistan to share, inspire and exchange ideas. Published in Daily Times, October 29th 2017.