Technopark initiative in Kasaragod

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA: Giving shape to its first regional incubation centre, the Thiruvananthapuram Technopark has formed an Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) and a Virtual Technology Business Incubator at the LBS College of Engineering in Kasaragod.

The IT park’s Technopark Business Incubation (TBI) centre would be offering support to the engineering college for coordinating the effective conduct of the Entrepreneurship Development Activities thus maintaining the status of a Regional TBI in the state, a Technopark official said.

K C Chandrasekharan Nair, CFO, Technopark and Programme Coordinator-New Initiatives, Technopark TBI inaugurated the EDC. According to Nair the objective of forming the EDC is to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the campus.

Another objective is to exploit and effectively convert the skills and expertise within the institute to create entrepreneurial ventures.

He said, “Technopark, through the TBI initiatives, is creating an ecosystem and a fertile ground that promotes the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship through out the state.”

Adding that the IT park has already incubated more than 70 start up technology companies in its incubation facilities in the past five years with a success rate of over 90 per cent, Nair said the National Award for the Best Technology Business Incubator for 2007 and a Seed Funding Assistance of Rs 200 lakh instituted by National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) of the Department of Science and Technology, have come the Technopark way due to this.

Meanwhile, the entrepreneurship development activities of the LBS College of Engineering would offer support to spot and incubate innovative ideas among the students into marketable products and to incubate them in the TBI.

The Technopark TBI will be providing all essential support needed for the entrepreneurship development activities including training for the faculty and in organizing workshops and seminars in this regard.

Besides the EDC, a virtual Technology Business Incubator has also been inaugurated to incubate Swades Solutions, a business venture promoted by 4 students from the college who have set up a company in the Technopark Technology Business Incubator.

The Technopark, through its TBI initiatives aims at creating a system that will promote the spirit of innovation and entrepreneuship throughout the state.