The Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers is keen on setting up centres of excellence (CoEs) on polymer sciences in Chennai and Pune in the forthcoming 12th Plan period, said Neelkamal Darbari, joint secretary, department of chemicals and petrochemicals.
?In the 12th Plan period we hope to get more funds towards various developmental activities including possible setting up of two CoEs in Chennai and Pune. Chennai already has a CoE level institution? Central Institute of Plastic Engineering Technology (CIPET) that is teaching, training and undertaking research projects in plastic and polymer technologies. The mission of the petro-chemical ministry is to build and strengthen the CoEs to play a pivotal role in promoting brand India as a destination of polymer and plastic related technologies,? she told FE.
Wherever feasible, the CoE could also be operated as public private partnership institution (PPP) with a possible collaborative tie-ups with institutes and industry, she pointed out. More on the role of CoEs, Darbari added CoEs will be involved in cutting-edge projects like developing bio-polymer and bio-degradable polymer and innovative recycling process technology to minimise the usage of non-biodegradable plastic.
On the likely investment in each of the CoE proposed, she said it is too premature to comment on the allocation of funds as the proposal is in the very early stage with the various modalities.
Darbari said the ministry is keen on setting up plastic park with common facilities to attract domestic and overseas investments that would synergise and consolidate the capacities in plastic sector through cluster development.