Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today inaugurated a three-day ‘Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026’.
He laid importance on turning home-grown innovations into commercial products and connecting them directly with the market.
The fair, organized by Ministry of Science and Technology is being held at Novo Theatre at Bijoy Sarani with the theme ‘Innovate to Market’.
The fair aims to build sustainable partnerships among local innovators and innovative organisations, policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, educational institutions, financial institutions and development partners.
Government and private research organisations, 73 public and private universities, independent researchers, students, emerging startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and global investors are participating in the fair.
More than 1,000 new and promising innovations in technology, business, education, health, agriculture, environment and other sectors are being showcased at the event.
The organisers said many promising technologies and ideas are developed at the grassroots level but failed to reach implementation stage due to a lack of policy support, initial funding and institutional cooperation.
Removing such administrative and financial barriers and ensuring intellectual property protection and commercial expansion is the major objective of the fair, they said.
On the second day of the fair tomorrow, a special international session titled ‘Healthcare Innovation for All: Expanding Access to Affordable and Inclusive Healthcare’ will be held.
The session will discuss technologies for delivering affordable, quality healthcare to marginalised people at their doorsteps.
Prime Minister’s wife Dr Zubaida Rahman will attend the tomorrow’s session as the chief guest.
National Board of Revenue (NBR), Department of Patents, Industrial Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) and Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) are strategic partners of the fair, while the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is providing technical support.
