CHANDIGARH: The Panjab University has been selected by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) New Delhi, as one of the Nodal centres in the region for establishing the Technology Enabling Centre (TEC) at Panjab University, Chandigarh. This may lead to an allocation of Rs 5 crore to PU for developing a self sustainable TEC, through the next 5 years.
For this selection, Panjab University competed with some of the best universities of India. A Three member team constituted by the Vice-chancellor Prof Raj Kumar defended the proposal in front of a high powered committee at Institute of chemical Technology Mumbai on 25th September 2018. In coming months the PU TEC team will undergo an orientation to take up this highly challenging project in the area of taking knowledge to marketplace.
The objective of TEC will be to create an ecosystem for technology conversion at the University and provide a platform to network researchers with other institutes, national laboratories and industry. The focus of the Centre will be on providing an enabling eco system, process and support for taking the lab level early leads to the development of marketable products.
Some of the key activities covered under this centre will include Mining of Technologies being developed at various Labs in University, Assessment of technical gaps faced by MSMEs, Evaluating maturity of the identified Technologies (products & processes) for further development; carrying out Market Studies for their Market Potential of prototypes and leads; recommend Pilot stage development & co-development of the Technologies with established Institutions/Industries to make those Market ready.
The TEC at Panjab University will serve the Industry by preparing technology status and demand report, assist Start-ups in raising funds
and forging partnerships etc.. Periodic Workshops/Seminars will be organized in Collaboration with Industries. An interactive portal supported with databases will be developed to evolve an on line process of partnership and technology search. TEC will bring out Newsletter & Bulletin on Quarterly basis.
The award of TEC is seen as a natural progress of PU from the earlier awards of DIC, CPR, Bio incubator and CIIPP at PU. CIIPP, along with
the CPR at Panjab University has already been striving to promote industry academia partnerships at PU. Recently, an Institutional
Innovation Council has also been constituted at PU for fostering collaborations between the faculty and industries in the region. The
award of TEC to PU is an important recognition that the university holds in promoting innovations for social good.