Daily Times

Projects approved under the Technology Development Fund (TDF), an initiative of the Higher Education Commission to provide financial and technical support for development of products and prototypes, have started yielding outcomes.

Under the TDF, so far 126 projects have been approved for funding. The projects awarded in fiscal year 2016-2017 have entered the execution phase and are progressing towards the goals envisaged.

One of these projects titled Transforming Biomass Ash Residues into Commercialisable Products by Dr Basit Yamin from the Lahore University of Management Sciences and his industrial partner Dr Amir Saeed from Bulleh Shah Packaging (BSP) Private Limited is now in pilot production.

BSP was facing industrial problems in disposing off biomass ash residues, so that means that conversion of biomass ash residues into commercialisable products is an example of great success.

Two researchers involved in this project, Dr Basit Yamin and Dr Abdul Wakeel are now working to convert the waste material into pavement materials and plant growth supplement as a new production line. Total worth of the project is Rs 18.474 million wherein the industrial contribution is Rs 4.530 million. Based on promising results, the project team has developed several laboratory scale formulations to fabricate pavers with a range of compressive strengths.

The TDF team, which has conducted monitoring visits to the projects sites, have found remarkable progress of the projects awarded. Industrial experts provide technical and financial support to make the projects a success. The initiative is leading towards meaningful industry-academia linkages.

Published in Daily Times, September 18^th 2018.