LAHORE: (Saturday, December 9, 2023): Punjab University Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (IMME) team has won ‘AFS Venture Spark 2023 Project Competition’ organized at MNS University of Agriculture Multan. The event served as a platform for technology enthusiasts and entrepreneurial minds with a specific focus on promoting agri- preneurship. It provided an opportunity for participants to showcase their innovative research and developments to industrial experts, business professionals, investors and the general public.
Amidst over 500 projects across Pakistan only two projects were shortlisted from PU and one of them belonged to the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (IMME). The project was led by Assistant Professor at IMME Dr Muhammad Atif Makhdoom, a research team, including a student, presented the project titled ‘Spectral Splitting Agri-Voltaics for Indoor Farming’. This ground-breaking project secured the first position in the special projects category. The primary objective of the winning project was to enhance crop yield through indoor farming using agri-voltaics, eliminating the need for artificial lights that are otherwise required in traditional systems. This approach not only boosts efficiency but also provides a cost-effective alternative. In recognition of their achievement Federal Secretary for National Food Security & Research Captain (r) Muhammad Mahmood awarded the first position to the participating team along with Dr Muhammad Atif Makhdoom.