Science & Technology Entrepreneurship
Park (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.
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