Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Park (STEP)

• Proforma for Submitting STEP Project Proposal
  
  
• List of Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Parks (STEP)

The Science Parks and similar initiatives help in creating an atmosphere for innovation and entrepreneurship; for active interaction between academic institutions and industries for sharing ideas, knowledge, experience and facilities for the development of new technologies and their rapid transfer to the end user.

The Science & Technology Entrepreneurs Park (STEP) programme was initiated to provide a re-orientation in the approach to innovation and entrepreneurship involving education, training, research, finance, management and the government. A STEP creates the necessary climate for innovation, information exchange, sharing of experience and facilities and opening new avenues for students, teachers, researchers and industrial managers to grow in a trans-disciplinary culture, each understanding and depending on the other's inputs for starting a successful economic venture. STEPs are hardware intensive with emphasis on common facilities, services and relevant equipments.

The major objectives of STEP are to forge linkages among academic and R&D institutions on one hand and the industry on the other and also promote innovative enterprise through S&T persons.

Objectives

• To forge a close linkage between universities, academic and R&D institutions on one hand and industry on the other.
• To promote entrepreneurship among Science and Technology persons, many of whom were otherwise seeking jobs soon after their graduation.
  
• To provide R&D support to the small-scale industry mostly through interaction with research institutions.
• To promote innovation based enterprises.

Facilities and Services Provided by STEPs

• It offers facilities such as nursery sheds, testing and calibration facilities, precision tool room/central workshop, prototype development, business facilitation, computing, data bank, library and documentation, communication , seminar hall/conference room , common facilities such as phone, telex, fax, photocopying. It offers services like testing and calibration, consultancy.
• Training, technical support services, business facilitation services, database and documentation services, quality assurance services and common utility services .

The department has so far catalysed 15 STEPs in different parts of the country, which have promoted nearly 788 units generating annual turnover of around Rs. 130 crores and employment for 5000 persons. More than 100 new products and technologies have been developed by the STEPs / STEP promoted entrepreneurs. In addition, over 11000 persons have been trained through various skill development programmes conducted by STEPs.

STEPs are autonomous bodies registered as societies under the Societies Registration Act. 

Role of Host Institution

In order to achieve synergetic benefits and also to harness the knowledge and expertise available in academic and R&D institutions of excellence, every STEP needs to be promoted around a host institution which could launch, sustain and help the STEP grow. Therefore, the host institution has to play an important and crucial role in promotion and growth of a STEP. 

The host institution should aim at optimum usage of its facility by STEP. For this purpose, a periodic assessment of the priorities must be undertaken based on which re-allocation of resources might become necessary. During the stages of planning and implementation of the STEP project, the host institution must not lose sight of its slated goals and objectives with respect to academic excellence. 

STEP Model

Though a workable 'STEP-Model' has been evolved by an Expert Committee chaired by the late Prof. Y. Nayudamma, however, each STEP would have to carve out a niche for itself with regard to the types of products to be developed based on the availability of facilities and expertise in the host institution and also the industrial climate of the region. 

Each project envisages active involvement and participation of  agencies such as the host institution, ultimate user of the  facilities, financial institutions, government agencies and STEP management.