South Korea’s official development assistance agency on Friday said it had begun construction of an industrial textiles center in Pakistan as part of efforts to support the local industry and expand technology cooperation.
According to the Korea International Cooperation Agency, a groundbreaking ceremony for the Pak-Korea Technical Textile Centre was held Thursday at the National Textile University in Faisalabad, Pakistan.
The event was attended by Yeon Je-ho, director of KOICA’s Pakistan office, and Rashid Masood, rector of the National Textile University. “We hope the center will serve as a key platform for advancing high-value-added textile industries in Pakistan and deepening technological innovation partnerships between Korea and Pakistan,” Yeon said.
Masood described the project as “a turning point” for strengthening Pakistan’s research and development capabilities and fostering skilled professionals in the textile sector.
KOICA opened its office in Pakistan in 2010 and has since carried out a range of technical cooperation projects, including support for apparel technology research institutes. It began providing textile manufacturing equipment to the National Textile University in 2013. The new center is part of KOICA’s second-phase project to establish an industrial textiles center at the university by 2028, with a total budget of $7.95 million.
Pakistan’s textile industry accounts for more than half of the country’s exports and remains one of its key industries. However, the sector has faced mounting challenges in recent years due to stagnant global demand and intensifying regional competition.
Officials said Pakistan had been seeking to shift toward higher-value technical textiles, but has struggled with insufficient research infrastructure and a shortage of skilled personnel needed to strengthen global competitiveness.
The new facility, to be built as a two-story complex, will include an experimental building equipped for composite nonwoven fabric manufacturing and a lecture hall for research and training programs.
KOICA said the center is intended to function as a future hub for Pakistan’s textile technology sector by integrating production, experimentation, research and education functions. The agency added that the project was also expected to help strengthen the presence of South Korean textile companies in Pakistan.
