Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam today underscored the importance of converting knowledge into practical solutions, research into marketable products, ideas into enterprises, and innovation into economic and social value.

Creating innovation alone is not enough; innovators must be ensured financing, policy support, partnership with industries, protection of intellectual property rights and, above all, access to markets, he added.

Faqir Mahbub Anam, also Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, made these remarks at a press briefing held at the conference room of the Ministry of Science and Technology in the Secretariat on the occasion of the Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026.

The three-day "Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026" will be held at the Novo Theatre in Dhaka from September 12 to 14, 2026, at the initiative of the Ministry of Science and Technology. 

The minister said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the fair.

Referring to this year's theme, "Innovate to Market", the minister said Bangladesh has no shortage of talent, creativity and promising ideas. 

Students, researchers, startups, universities and industries are creating new solutions in their respective fields, he said. 

The minister, however, said connecting these initiatives with investment, industry and markets through an effective and integrated innovation ecosystem is now one of the major challenges.

The Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026 has been organised precisely to build this connection, he said, adding that more than 100 innovators, including individual innovators and startup founders, will showcase over 1,000 innovations at the fair. 

A total of 73 public and private universities, leading commercial banks, corporate and industrial organisations, and various government and private institutions from across the country will take part in the fair, he added.

“Innovation can never develop in isolation. It requires coordination among the government, academia, industry, financing institutions, development partners and investors," the minister said. 

He noted that building a strong, sustainable and market-oriented innovation ecosystem through such coordination is one of the key goals of the Bangladesh Innovation Fair.

The minister called upon all concerned stakeholders, universities, innovators, researchers, financial institutions, industrial and corporate organisations, and the media to come forward to make the Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026 a success. 

Faqir Mahbub called upon people from all walks of life, including the media, to visit the Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026, and to get acquainted with the innovators so as to bring their stories of innovation to the people of the country.

The Science and Technology Minister expressed hope that through science, technology and innovation, Bangladesh will move forward as a more innovative, competitive and future-ready nation.

The minister further said the fair will bring individual innovators, students, researchers, universities, corporate organisations, industries, multinational companies, government agencies, international and domestic development organisations, SMEs, service providers, startups and environment-friendly entrepreneurs onto the same platform.