Bhubaneswar: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela on Thursday, signed an agreement for setting up a Space Technology Incubation Centre (S-TIC) at NIT Rourkela.
This collaboration with ISRO will open up new opportunities for research and development as well as space start-ups, an NIT, Rourkela official was quoted as saying by NDTV. The S-TIC will nurture the young academia with innovative research aptitude for carrying out research and product development in the field of space technology and applications, the report added.
NIT Rourkela will provide its state-of-the-art laboratories, facilities and expert faculties to meet this purpose. The S-TIC at NIT Rourkela will facilitate, encourage and promote capacity building, innovations and research activities in the whole of the Eastern Region comprising Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andaman and Nicobar.
ISRO will provide an annual Grant-in-Aid of Rs 2 crore for two years to NIT-R as seed money for setting up the STIC. The seed money will be utilised for facility augmentation to carry out the research projects and product development taken from ISRO. NIT Rourkela will provide the required infrastructure inside its academic campus, the report added.
“I heartily thank ISRO Chairman and Director from CBPO for selecting NIT Rourkela in the Eastern Region for setting up of S-TIC. NIT Rourkela’s sponsored research and industrial consultancy is among the best in the country. ISRO’s support will further enhance our research infrastructure,” Director of NIT Rourkela, Professor Animesh Biswas was quoted as saying by NDTV
A dedicated space has been allocated for the establishment of Space Technology Incubation Centre in our Golden Jubilee Building of NIT Rourkela. At the Space Technology Incubation Centre new facilities are going to be created to carry out ISRO projects, development of products/prototypes, he said.
Congratulating NIT Rourkela, Chairman, ISRO and Secretary Department of Space Dr K Sivan said that space technology-related research and the products from the STIC will be utilised in future space missions and it will help nation-building through Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan in space technology and applications domain.