C N R Rao to pilot Nano Park to come up in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: A nanotechnology park would be established in Bengaluru on the lines of the IT-BT Park, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister and IT minister C N Ashwath Narayan said.

Participating in the Bengaluru India Nano 2020 event here, Narayan said the state government is also mulling over a new science and technology policy.

“The Nano Park proposal is being chalked out with the help of Prof C N R Rao, chairman of the Karnataka Vision Group on Nanotechnology. We expect research centres to be established in Bengaluru to promote the ecosystem for nanotechnology," said Narayan.

Prof. C N R Rao will help the state in formulating policy and identifying priority areas to build core competencies and foster research in this advanced discipline. The focus is to make Bengaluru and Karnataka a leader in nanotechnology in collaboration with premier institutes such as the Indian Institute of Science, the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, NCBS and others.

Chief minister B S Yediyurappa said the proposed Nano Park would set up in collaboration with the Union government. Establishment of common instrumentation facilities to promote growth in this emerging field will also be considered. Action will be taken for up-skilling and re-skilling the manpower required for this sunrise industry.

The chief minister called upon scientists and engineers to come up with innovative nanotechnology-based solutions for food security, energy security, water purification, healthcare, waste management and to combat environmental hazards.

Prof. Rao said, “Nanotechnology has been making giant strides in the field of healthcare. I feel that there is still a lot of potential to be tapped. I urge our young scientists to conduct more research in the field of healthcare and come out with some great solutions. Bengaluru India Nano acts as a global platform for convergence of research, academe and industry to explore emerging opportunities.

Some of the key focus areas of Bengaluru India Nano 2020 will be on nanotech in energy for e-mobility, agriculture, clean water and environment and manufacturing. Around 30 world class speakers from leading industries and organizations, both from India and abroad will address this event.

Yediyurappa presented  the prestigious Prof. C.N.R Rao Bengaluru India Nano Science Award 2020 to Prof. P S Anil Kumar of the Department of Physics of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru for his outstanding contribution to nanotechnology.