The focus of the workshop are: Information Technology, biotechnology, new materials, food & agro industry and hi-tech manufacturing. The workshop is expected to help in evolving a network of angel investors in India and the Asia-Pacific region. The highlight of the workshop would be the Bangalore Declaration-2001 spelling out the vision statement and policy initiatives needed for working out a plan of action for government to launch technology business incubator programme all over the country, state principal secretary industry and commerce Mr BS Patil, state director industries and commerce Mr G Gurucharan told newspersons here on Tuesday. The declaration is drafted with inputs from ISRO chairman Dr K Kasturi Rangan. The state government has also made a proposal for making Bangalore the permanent venue for hosting technology business incubator summit in every two years, Mr Patil said. Like the Bangalore-IT dotcom, this could also be a permanent feature, he added.

According to Dr Patil the workshop has received overwhelming response as it had already made 250 registrations, a majority of them are from abroad. We expect to close the registration with 350, he said. The workshop is sponsored by Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology working (APCIT) under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), department of science & technology and state government. The workshop to be inaugurated by Union Human Resources Development minister Mr Muralai Manohar Joshi, would focus on exchange of international experience in setting up and managing technology business incubators, to facilitate international technology and business contacts and to improve the environment for growth of technology led enterprises. The key note address will be delivered by Prof UR Rao, member space commission. The workshop will also witness two sector-wise panel discussions- the panelists being leading academicians and practitioners of technology business incubators representing private andpublic sector and international agencies.

Leading speakers included Mr Jurgen Bischoff, regional director APCIT, Dr R Lalkaka, president Business & Technology Development Strategies, USA; Mrs Barbara Harley, International Business Incubator; Mr MI Zuping, Torch Hi-tech Development Centre, China; Mr Kim Hong, Kobia, Korea; Mr Bruce McConell, McConell International USA; MS Cynthia Koh, Singapore and several others.