Innovation corridors

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: and validation facilities for the industry and finally, the marketing mechanisms for taking the products and services from lab to market. At ICICI Knolwedge Park, biotech companies are doing research work in various areas of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and chemistry. About 68% of these companies are into technology/product development and the rest are engaged in contract research.

Does this foster competition among different states? With increasing global competition, partnering and outsourcing, facilitating agencies like knowledge parks play a crucial role in promoting the country’s knowledge industries. These parks act as regional development agencies, says Chattopadhyay.

Science parks and incubators are seen as cost effective tools for the government to attract investments and growth in emerging innovation sectors. However, a park alone cannot provide the impetus. It has to be embedded in an innovation eco-system with R&D institutions/research universities, companies, infrastructure and support services and a pro-active government, she adds.

At the 100-acre Bangalore biotechnology park, initiatives are being taken to develop it as a biocluster, where inter-dependent biotech companies would be encouraged to set up operations. Park officials inform that Bangalore has the capacity to take nearly Rs 2,400 crore in investment in five years. Already, Novo Nordisk, Syngene, Aurigene, Wipro Life Sciences and Novozymes have moved in.

Chennai has experienced a similar wave of growth. A laboratory infrastructure, TICEL Bio Park has been established and has been in operation since November 2004. The city will witness development of three more biotech parks and a biotech SEZ in the coming years.

In the North, the eight-acre Lucknow biotech park is focused on healthcare, agriculture, environment and environmental technologies. The park’s proximity to research institutes like National Botanical Research Centre (NBRI), Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Industrial Technology Research Centre (ITRC) and the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), is a major attraction to several

biotech companies.