CHENNAI: The Anna University in Chennai is soon establishing a Technology Park in its campus here at a cost of Rs.50 crores to promote start-up ecosystem in select important thrust areas related to infrastructure.
“Our university Syndicate has given approval for constructing this proposed technology park. It will come up in phases and the total construction area is about 2.8 lakh square feet. A few key areas connected to town planning and infrastructure for cities will be our focus areas in this Strategic Technology Research and Innovation Park (STRIP),” Anna University Vice-Chancellor Prof.R.Velraj has said while speaking to ‘Lotus Times’ media website in Chennai on January 4th 2024.
He informed that the Technology Park will take up extensive studies and research in core areas of infrastructure such as energy, environment, water management, waste management and disaster mitigation.
“Our objective is how to integrate the emerging technologies. The approval for going ahead to set up Technology Park in Anna University has been obtained. We will promote startup ecosystem here. The technology park should be ready in two years time,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
16 CENTRES STARTED
Stating that 16 focused research centres have been already started in the last two years in Anna University, Prof.R.Velraj had stressed that the focus is on Internet of Things, cyber security among other things with ultimate objective of creating technology readiness, product development, commercialisation through an ecosystem that takes care of projects, products and entrepreneurship,
“Our former Vice-Chancellors had given thrust to research in priority areas, and now we are giving a strong push through dedicated centres. A seed funding of Rs.25 lakhs was given for each centre and we are going to see a huge impact in the coming 10 years since there is a greater emphasis in our campus now on ideas, innovation, startups, entrepreneurship, product development etc. Anna University is giving a focused direction through the innovation development council.
“Already our Anna University is well known for its research projects, we focus on climate change, remote sensing, environment etc In the coming days, we will see some big things taking place through our present initiatives from teachers’ ideas to technology transfer,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
