ISRO signs bilateral MoU with 4 institutes to set up space tech incubation centres
Nellore: Indian Space Research Organisation has signed bilateral memoranda of understanding with four prestigious institutes to set up space technology incubation centres (S-TIC) on their campuses.
The incubation centres will come up at the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur (western region), Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal (Central region), and National Institute of Technology, Rourkela (eastern region). Isro Chairman Dr K. Sivan, also the secretary, department of space, briefed about S-TIC programme and encouraged students to explore their entrepreneurship skills in the space domain.
In his presidential address, Dr Sivan said the S-TIC would provide opportunities for final year graduate and post graduate students and research scholars as entrepreneurs. Projects of practical relevance linked to the space missions will be made available at the S-TICs. The research outcome will be translated into a proof-of-concept or prototype through industries within their region.
R. Umamaheswaran, scientific secretary, Isro, emphasised the need for inter-disciplinary approach and teamwork among various discipline of science and technology for accomplishing the objectives of S-TIC. The setting up of the centres will be a major boost for space-related activities in these regions.
According to Isro, the S-TIC at VNIT Nagpur will be the focal centre for the western region including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The S-TIC at MANIT, Bhopal, will cover Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and the S-TIC at NIT, Rourkela the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar.
Three S-TICs are already functioning at the National Institute of Technology, Agartala (for the northeast), Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar (northern region) and National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli (Southern region).
Dr Sivan also released YUKTI-Sanchita 2021 (Youth Upgradation by Knowledge Transformation through Incubators - Sanchita), a compilation of 108 product development and innovative project proposals which can be referred to by academia, industry and start-ups to prepare a detailed proposal for execution of the projects.
