Junaid Kafili
Islamabad: The Pathfinder Group convened senior policymakers, diplomats and industry leaders in Islamabad to review outcomes from the Pakistan Pavilion at World Economic Forum 2026 and outline next steps for strengthening innovation diplomacy and startup internationalisation.
The high-level forum, titled “Pakistan Pavilion DAVOS 2026: Experience, Lessons Learnt and Beyond,” was hosted at AmaaniBagh by Ikram Sehgal, Co-Chairman of Pathfinder Group.
Reflecting on DAVOS 2026
The Pakistan Pavilion DAVOS 2026 was inaugurated on January 21 in Davos, Switzerland, by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
A key component of the pavilion was the Pathfinder CITADEL Startup Showcase, which highlighted Pakistani startups working in artificial intelligence, fintech, health, climate and education.
Addressing the forum, Sehgal described Pathfinder CITADEL as an “engine” aimed at transforming innovation into scalable growth, employment and export potential.
Converting visibility into outcomes
Opening remarks were delivered by Dr Salma Malik and AVM (Retd) Asad Ikram, President of Pathfinder CITADEL, who stressed the need to convert international exposure into measurable progress in digital exports, partnerships and ecosystem development.
A Davos experience panel featured startup founders and CITADEL leadership, including Air Cdre (Retd) Khalid Banuri, Air Cdre (Retd) Farhan Ahmed and Imran Jattala. Participants shared insights on investor engagement, cross-border partnerships and networking opportunities generated during WEF 2026.
The chief guest, Swiss Ambassador to Pakistan Georg Steiner, noted that Pakistan’s participation reflected its expanding footprint in global innovation networks.
Jeddah Startup Challenge 2026 announced
The second session introduced the CITADEL Jeddah Startup Challenge 2026, being organized in partnership with OIC-COMSTECH. The event is scheduled to take place at Pakistan Pavilion Jeddah during the WEF Spring Session on April 22–23, 2026.
Organizers reported receiving 337 startup applications for the challenge, including 56 from 16 countries, indicating growing international engagement with Pakistan-led innovation platforms.
Live cross-border startup pitching
A highlight of the Islamabad forum was a live pitching segment featuring startups from OIC member states alongside Pakistani ventures.
International participants included startups from Gambia, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Malaysia, while Pakistani firms presented solutions in education technology, climate innovation and digital services.
In his concluding remarks, Prof Dr M Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH, emphasized the importance of science, technology and entrepreneurship in strengthening intra-OIC collaboration and economic development.
Sehgal reiterated Pathfinder Group’s commitment to translating international visibility into concrete outcomes, including market access, investment pathways and cross-border partnerships.
