Tuesday, 07 October, 2025
Adviser to the Ministries of Finance, and Science and Technology Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday stressed the need to align research and innovation more closely with Bangladesh’s national development priorities to accelerate economic growth and global competitiveness.
“Research and innovation must be integrated with national development priorities. We are entering an era where scientific progress and technological applications will determine economic success,” he said.
Dr. Salehuddin made the remarks while addressing a roundtable titled “Research to Market: Strengthening Bangladesh’s Innovation Ecosystem through Academia–Industry–Research Partnerships” at a city hotel.
Organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the event brought together representatives from government and private research institutions, universities, industries, innovators, and policymakers.
The adviser emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between research, innovation, and industry, noting that government investments in research should translate into higher productivity, job creation, and sustainable development.
“Timely measures to enhance connectivity among research, innovation, and industry are essential, alongside policy and financial incentives,” he added.
Citing Bangladesh’s achievements in applying science to agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, Dr. Salehuddin said such successes should now be replicated in other underdeveloped sectors. He called for stronger coordination among policymakers, the government, and research institutions to achieve inclusive economic progress.
Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, speaking as a special guest, observed that Bangladesh still lags behind in commercializing research outcomes. He urged for greater opportunities and incentives to foster new innovations.
Speakers at the discussion noted that collaboration among academia, industry, and research institutions is key to advancing innovation, technology transfer, and commercialization. Referring to examples from South Korea, Germany, Singapore, and India, they said Bangladesh could develop high-tech industries through similar partnership models tailored to its local context.
They also pointed out that Bangladesh’s spending on research and development (R&D) remains comparatively low in the region. Although research output has increased, its industrial application is still limited, and private-sector investment in R&D remains inadequate. Joint research ventures, policy incentives, and technological support were recommended to close these gaps.
Participants further called for the establishment of a National Innovation Council, particularly focused on ICT and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
In his concluding remarks, Science and Technology Secretary Md. Anwar Hossain said the ministry now serves not only as a policy overseer but also as a driver of business competitiveness, export diversification, and innovation-led growth.
“Our goal is to transform research into economic strength and embed innovation into daily life,” he said, adding that the ministry has already launched several initiatives, including opening government laboratories to private researchers, introducing joint research fellowships, and organizing an ‘Innovation Fair’ in February 2026.
Other initiatives include forming a Frontier Technology Cell, building global linkages with overseas scientists, and developing a comprehensive database of Bangladeshi researchers and scientists at services.most.gov.bd.
The ministry will also prepare a summary of the roundtable’s recommendations for policy and institutional reforms and form a Ministry–Industry–Academia Working Group to pilot collaborative projects in priority sectors.
The roundtable brought together leaders from biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, fisheries, and other industries, as well as vice-chancellors, academics, government officials, and members of the media.
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Adviser to the Ministries of Finance, and Science and Technology Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday stressed the need to align research and innovation more closely with Bangladesh’s national development priorities to accelerate economic growth and global competitiveness.
“Research and innovation must be integrated with national development priorities. We are entering an era where scientific progress and technological applications will determine economic success,” he said.
Dr. Salehuddin made the remarks while addressing a roundtable titled “Research to Market: Strengthening Bangladesh’s Innovation Ecosystem through Academia–Industry–Research Partnerships” at a city hotel.
Organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the event brought together representatives from government and private research institutions, universities, industries, innovators, and policymakers.
The adviser emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between research, innovation, and industry, noting that government investments in research should translate into higher productivity, job creation, and sustainable development.
“Timely measures to enhance connectivity among research, innovation, and industry are essential, alongside policy and financial incentives,” he added.
Citing Bangladesh’s achievements in applying science to agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, Dr. Salehuddin said such successes should now be replicated in other underdeveloped sectors. He called for stronger coordination among policymakers, the government, and research institutions to achieve inclusive economic progress.
Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, speaking as a special guest, observed that Bangladesh still lags behind in commercializing research outcomes. He urged for greater opportunities and incentives to foster new innovations.
Speakers at the discussion noted that collaboration among academia, industry, and research institutions is key to advancing innovation, technology transfer, and commercialization. Referring to examples from South Korea, Germany, Singapore, and India, they said Bangladesh could develop high-tech industries through similar partnership models tailored to its local context.
They also pointed out that Bangladesh’s spending on research and development (R&D) remains comparatively low in the region. Although research output has increased, its industrial application is still limited, and private-sector investment in R&D remains inadequate. Joint research ventures, policy incentives, and technological support were recommended to close these gaps.
Participants further called for the establishment of a National Innovation Council, particularly focused on ICT and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
In his concluding remarks, Science and Technology Secretary Md. Anwar Hossain said the ministry now serves not only as a policy overseer but also as a driver of business competitiveness, export diversification, and innovation-led growth.
“Our goal is to transform research into economic strength and embed innovation into daily life,” he said, adding that the ministry has already launched several initiatives, including opening government laboratories to private researchers, introducing joint research fellowships, and organizing an ‘Innovation Fair’ in February 2026.
Other initiatives include forming a Frontier Technology Cell, building global linkages with overseas scientists, and developing a comprehensive database of Bangladeshi researchers and scientists at services.most.gov.bd.
The ministry will also prepare a summary of the roundtable’s recommendations for policy and institutional reforms and form a Ministry–Industry–Academia Working Group to pilot collaborative projects in priority sectors.
The roundtable brought together leaders from biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, fisheries, and other industries, as well as vice-chancellors, academics, government officials, and members of the media.
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