Punjab mulls research and innovation park at Mohali

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 22

Having realised that innovation is the key to growth, Punjab is contemplating to set up research and innovation park to bring academia, research institutions and industry together. The objective is to promote innovation, commercialisation of products developed and to develop an employment-ready workforce.

The first such park would be set up in Mohali on the lines of University Innovation Park in the US where research institutions and industry would join hands to promote research and entrepreneurship. The fund-starved MSMEs in Punjab find it difficult to carry out research resulting in dependency on old technology and finished product.

The park would act as a bridge between the industry and research institutions where the technology developed by the institutes will be transferred to the industry for its commercial use and vice-versa i.e the researchers will try to solve the issues of the industry. So it will be a win-win situation for both.

“University-affiliated research and innovation parks aren’t a new idea in the US, as it has been in existence for long. However, in India, this concept is new. The research parks are more relevant in case of Punjab, as the MSMEs need support in the areas of research, design improvement and problem solving,” RK Verma, Principal Secretary, Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Punjab, told The Tribune on the sidelines of symposium on ‘Business & Manufacturing Innovation’ organised by the CII.

“We are planning to set up first such prototype park in Mohali followed by more in other major industrial cities. Our sole objective is to be a facilitator in creating partnerships between universities, research institutions and the private sector to drive innovation in the state and exploit it commercially. The end result is a win-win situation for all stakeholders, including universities and the industry,” he added.

According to research institutions, the private sector companies benefit by gaining access to expertise and new technologies. Universities would benefit by commercialising their promising research, achieving a better understanding of issues confronting the industry and creating internship and job opportunities for their students.

For example, the hand tool industry in the state is confronting with issues such as low energy efficiency in oil-fired furnace, air pollution and R&D on product quality and skill development. Similarly, textile dyeing industry needs low-cost machines where there is less requirement of water.

He said the state has identified 25 unmet needs of the sector with the support of five universities and institutions such as fungal growth, texture degradation, unpleasant odour development in bakery products, gluten-free multigrain bread premix and other bakery premixes, multi-purpose peeling, pricking and cutting machine for fruits and vegetables.

The state government has identified life sciences, environment and climate change, manufacturing, clean energy and public health as focus areas and have tied up with university having domain-specific research networks.