In a world often defined by borders, it is heartwarming to witness stories that transcend geographical and cultural divides. One such inspiring tale comes from Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Varun, CEO of Spannovation's India Operations, and his team from Spannovation India office met Saqib Khan from Spannovation Canada - incidentally for the first time after working closely together for the past 4 years. Their meeting place? A historic Sikh temple — Kartarpur Sahib — a symbol of peace, unity, and shared heritage in Pakistan.
A Ground of Unity
Kartarpur Gurdwara, known for welcoming people from all walks of life, provided the perfect backdrop for such an exchange. This sacred site was made accessible through the Kartarpur Corridor, inaugurated by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019, creating a rare visa-free passage for Indian pilgrims to visit this important religious site in Pakistan. This historic initiative opened a pathway for people from both countries to freely visit, offering a glimmer of connection despite ongoing political tensions.
This meeting is a testament to how the world is moving towards a global village despite the separation of countries and politics. Saqib, the Chief Technical Officer for the Spannovation Group - due to his original background from Pakistan is deterred from freely visiting India due to the political conditions between the two countries. Despite the apparent restrictions, technology has allowed Spannovation to work closely unhindered by the physical and political separation.
Though each being liberal, members of the team come from differing religious backgrounds - with Saqib a Muslim, and Varun and the other teammates visiting being Hindu. The meeting place being a Sikh site echoed the foremost spiritual insight of Guru Nanak - "There is no Hindu and no Muslim" - emphasizing that all are equal irrespective of apparent differences in religion, race, gender or nationality.
Journey of Connection
The India contingent started at 5am from Mohali, Chandigarh, making their way via Amritsar through the dedicated Kartarpur Corridor for the meeting at noon. Despite being only about 120kms away in Lahore, Saqib arrived later than the India team due to significant construction on the highway from Lahore to Kartarpur.
While enjoying the historic sights of the Kartarpur campus, the group shared ideas, discussed ongoing projects, and explored thoughts on the continual improvement of their collaboration and practice. The warmth of their interaction highlighted the core values of Spannovation—that innovation knows no borders and progress thrives on unity. The junior staff were thrilled to meet their mentor for the first time - Aaryan is also in the process of registering with EGBC for an EIT designation.
Varun, said "It was great to finally be able to meet Saqib in person - someone I have been closely working with for the past 4 years on teams calls - feels like I've always known him".
Engineering Without Borders
The senior members of the team reminisced on the close experiences shared working on major Spannovation projects such as construction engineering for the New Pattullo Cable Stayed Bridge in Vancouver, Canada, design of the Mithi River segmental bridge in Mumbai, India and the load evaluations and assessment for the I-405 Brickyard Bridges in Seattle, USA. This is the spirit and culture of Spannovation, where they transcend borders and political divides to come together for a common goal - passion for the work they do.
The story of Spannovation Canada led by Saqib and India by Varun stands as a shining example of how shared goals and mutual respect can lead to extraordinary achievements. It reinforces the belief that together, we can build a better, more connected world.
After the satisfying meet-up, the parties headed back and ended the day with the India team going out for a team dinner in Mohali while Saqib attended a poetic recital festival in Lahore in memory of the great poet Faiz.
Building Bridges Beyond Borders
As the sun set on this remarkable day, the impact of this meeting extended far beyond a simple professional gathering. What Spannovation has accomplished through this cross-border collaboration serves as a powerful reminder that the greatest innovations often emerge when diverse perspectives unite. The bridges this team engineers are not just physical structures spanning rivers and valleys, but metaphorical connections between cultures, traditions, and people.
In the weeks following the meeting, team productivity soared as personal connections strengthened professional bonds. Video calls were now enriched with shared memories and deeper understanding. Plans were already underway for future gatherings, perhaps at other symbolic locations that represent unity across divides.
We hope the unfolding of the Spannovation story serves as inspiration to other organizations to look beyond conventional boundaries and embrace the true potential of global collaboration. In a world that sometimes seems increasingly divided, these engineers are quietly building connections that matter – one project, one relationship, and one bridge at a time.
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