Comstech

What Comstech does

COMSTECH (Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation) is an intergovernmental organization established in January 1981 at the third Islamic Summit in Mecca and headquartered at 33-Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad, Pakistan. It is the OIC's standing ministerial committee tasked with strengthening scientific and technological cooperation across the 57 OIC member states spanning Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. The organization's product surface is a portfolio of capacity-building and research-support services rather than a unified technology platform: a 16-volume Directory of Active Scientists covering 21,997 pages, a Scientific Literature Search Service that processed 14,206 requests and delivered 30.665 GB of scientific information between 1999-2014, an STI Policy Research and Training Centre established in 2006 that has trained 603 participants from 28 member states across 20 training courses and 2 workshops, a Thematic Workshops in Frontier Technologies program that has trained 1,595+ scientists in two phases (2006-2009 and 2011-2019), joint research grant programs with ICGEB, IFS, WHO/EMRO, ISESCO, and IOFS, fellowship and scholarship programs targeting Muslim-minority scientists, Palestinian nationals, Afghan women, women scientists in LDCs, and displaced scholars, and awards including the Khwarizmi International Award (40th edition).

The business model is intergovernmental rather than commercial: COMSTECH is collectively owned by the 57 OIC member states under the OIC system, governed by a General Assembly and Executive Committee, and operated by a Secretariat led by a Coordinator General (Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary Mustafa). Funding flows from member-state contributions plus co-financing from the Islamic Development Bank and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, with documented program-level investments of US$0.566 million for Phase 1 thematic workshops (2006-2009), US$0.299 million for Phase 2 (2011-2019), and US$42,691 for database upgrades (2008-2010). End beneficiaries (scientists, researchers, policymakers, students from OIC member states) receive services free of charge; the go-to-market model is event-driven, distributing programs via the comstech.org website, social media channels, partner-organization networks, country-hosted workshops, embassy outreach, and an extensive strategic-partnership ecosystem that includes COMSATS, SESAME, ICGEB, UNESCO-TWAS, IOFS, IFS, WHO/EMRO, ISESCO, IDB, HEC Pakistan, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Ningbo University, Royan Institute, Pardis Technology Park, University of Lahore, SMIIC, University of Jordan, and Huawei Technologies.

Name

Comstech

Legal name

COMSTECH – Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ministerial on Scientific and Technological Cooperation

Website

https://comstech.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

COMSTECH is the OIC's Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan, that delivers fellowships, scholarships, training workshops, and joint research grants to build science and technology capacity across the 57 OIC member states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Science and Technology Cooperation

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB), Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Scientific cooperation programs
• Research fellowship grants
• Science capacity building
• Intergovernmental science policy
• Scholarship training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Islamabad

HQ country

Pakistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Intergovernmental Funding: COMSTECH is funded through contributions from OIC member states as an intergovernmental organization under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Core funding comes from member state contributions and partnerships with organizations like Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

COMSTECH is the OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, providing intergovernmental coordination of science and technology programs across 57 OIC member states through fellowships, scholarships, training workshops, research grants, scientific literature services, awards programs, and thematic workshops for scientists and researchers.

Product overview

COMSTECH (Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ministerial on Scientific and Technological Cooperation) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan, that serves as the OIC's standing committee for science and technology cooperation. Rather than offering a unified technology product, COMSTECH operates a portfolio of research support services, training programs, and grant mechanisms designed to build scientific capacity across 57 OIC member states. Key offerings include the Directory of Active Scientists (research database), Scientific Literature Search Service, STI Policy Research & Training Centre, and Thematic Workshops in Frontier Technologies. These are complemented by fellowship/scholarship programs, awards including the Khwarizmi International Award, and joint research grants with partner organizations. The organization functions through international collaborations and does not operate a software product with public APIs or consumer-facing technology features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COMSTECH Awards: Annual awards program recognizing excellence in science and technology among OIC member states
• Khwarizmi International Award (KIA)
• COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence (CCoE)
• OIC-COMSTECH Technovation Academy
• COMSTECH Forum on Environment and Ecosystem Restoration (CFEER)
• COMSTECH Distinguished Scholars Programme
• COMSTECH Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) Policy Research & Training Centre

Products and services

• Fellowship Programs
• Scholarship Programs
• Training Workshops
• Research Grants
• Joint Research Grants
• Awards Programs
• Directory of Active Scientists
• Scientific Literature Search Service
• STI Policy Research and Training Centre
• Thematic Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,206 scientific literature requests processed and 30.665 GB of information delivered to researchers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Huawei TechnologiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Jointly organized international workshop on Cybersecurity Landscape in OIC Countries addressing digital security challenges
• COMSATScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint programs including 100 MS & PhD scholarships for students from OIC member states in Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies
• SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint travel grants program for scientists to access SESAME synchrotron facilities for advanced research
• ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICGEB-COMSTECH Scientific Cooperation Program including CRP-Grants for research collaboration among OIC member states
• UNESCO-TWAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO-TWAS-COMSTECH Science in Exile Fellowship Programme for displaced and refugee scholars; joint programs for young scientists in OIC countries
• IOFS (Islamic Organization for Food Security)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint fellowships for research and training in food security for OIC member states
• IFS (International Foundation for Science)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMSTECH-IFS Research Grants Programme and COMSTECH-IFS-INWRDAM Joint Research Grants Programme for young scientists
• WHO/EMRO (World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMSTECH-WHO/EMRO Research Grants Programme supporting health research in OIC member states
• ISESCO (Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMSTECH-ISESCO Joint Research Grants Programme supporting research collaboration among member states
• Hunan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint program and technicians training program in traditional Chinese medicine for OIC member states
• Ningbo UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint program on Aerospace Biomedicine, Pharmaceuticals, and Artificial Intelligence providing hands-on training for OIC researchers
• University of LahoremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint scholarships for Africa and Bangladesh in full degree programs, fellowships, and short-term training; 15 scholarships for Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital staff
• Royan Institute (Iran)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint PCMD-Royan Institute Webinar Series on biomedical sciences including stem cells, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine
• Embassy of Republic of Indonesia in PakistanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint international seminar on herbal and traditional medicine for sustainable alternative healthcare solutions
• University of JordanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint workshop on modern spectroscopic techniques and their applications research
• SMIIC (Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint training course on OIC/SMIIC Halal Products Standards and Testing covering food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics
• Mustafa (pbuh) Science and Technology FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Science in Exile Fellowships Program and joint organization of STEP (Science and Technology Exchange Program)
• ICCBS (International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for certificate courses in protein chemistry and molecular medicine; location of PCMD for training programs
• Pardis Technology Park (Iran)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of International Capacity-Building Training Program on Technology & Innovation Ecosystem Development at International Innovation District, Tehran

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Islamic Development Bank (IsDB): Multilateral development bank serving 57 OIC member states with significantly larger resources. Functions as COMSTECH's principal financial co-funder and is comparable as an OIC-system institution, though its mandate spans all development finance rather than S&T specifically.
• UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector: UN system's natural sciences arm running capacity building, science policy, and program delivery globally. Comparable multilateral mandate for international scientific cooperation, though at vastly greater scale; indirectly comparable via the TWAS joint program.

Direct peers

• ISESCO (Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization): Specialized OIC institution covering education, science, and culture across the Islamic world. Closest institutional peer within the OIC system; jointly runs the COMSTECH-ISESCO Research Grants Programme and shares a near-identical member-state constituency.
• COMSATS (Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South): Intergovernmental organization promoting S&T cooperation among developing countries, headquartered in Islamabad. Closest functional peer to COMSTECH—same geography, overlapping South-South cooperation mandate, and active partner on AI/Emerging Tech scholarships.
• International Foundation for Science (IFS): Stockholm-based research council providing research grants to early-career scientists in developing countries. Co-runs the COMSTECH-IFS Research Grants Programme; comparable niche funder model targeting young researchers in low-income economies.
• TWAS – The World Academy of Sciences: UNESCO-affiliated academy based in Trieste that supports scientific research and capacity building in developing countries. Direct peer to COMSTECH, particularly through the joint UNESCO-TWAS-COMSTECH Science in Exile Fellowship Programme; operates a parallel fellowship/grant model for Global South scientists.
• ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology): Intergovernmental organization running CRP grants, fellowships, and capacity building in life sciences across developing countries. Operates the joint ICGEB-COMSTECH Scientific Cooperation Program; comparable grant-based, multi-country R&D capacity-building model.
• SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East): Intergovernmental synchrotron facility based in Jordan serving scientists from the Middle East and beyond. Comparable intergovernmental scientific infrastructure model; jointly runs COMSTECH-SESAME travel grants program for OIC researchers.
• Mustafa(pbuh) Science and Technology Foundation: Tehran-based science and technology foundation focused on the Islamic world, hosting the STEP science exchange program. Comparable regional S&T convening role; active partner with COMSTECH on Science in Exile fellowships and joint programming.

Emerging players

• TWOWS (Third World Organization for Women in Science): International organization affiliated with TWAS promoting women scientists in the developing world. Comparable targeted fellowship/grant model for underrepresented researchers in OIC member states, partially overlapping COMSTECH's women-in-science fellowships for LDCs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OIC_COMSTECH
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChcT-Hwo-sNHam32djbKdMg
• Facebookfacebook.com/OIC.Comstech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comstechsecretariat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Comstech