Governor calls for closer university-industry synergy

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, AUG. 11. The Governor, Dr. C. Rangarajan, on Saturday called for a closer university-industry synergy and replication of the Silicon Valley concept that grew out of Stanford industrial park set up by the Stanford University in the US.

He was speaking after inaugurating a two-day national conference on "University- industry-R and D organisations- scientific bodies interaction and cooperation: policy perspectives", organised by the University College of Engineering, Osmania University, and the National Institute of Research and Social Action (NIRSA).

Dr. Rangarajan quoted a passage of how "Stanford university remained the engine room of Silicon Valley's growth", to drive home the point that the institutions of higher learning in the country need to do "something similar".

As if responding to the Governor's suggestion, the Osmania University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. C. Reddy, said the university was planning to set up technology parks on its sprawling campus and invited participation from the industry. Such technology development parks had become popular in US universities creating employment, giving a boost to the economy and promoting R and D.

"Technology is the life blood of industry," the Governor said but expressed concern at the declining trend in the Research and Development expenditure. In the public institutions, it had declined steadily from a peak of 0.98 per cent of the national resources in 1988 to 0.66 per cent in 1997. The spending by industry too on R and D too had declined.

Besides R and D, technology diffusion or the widespread adoption of technology was equally important. Dissemination of information about new technology was a critical determinant of diffusion.

Dr. D. Swaminadhan, president of NIRSA, stressed policy initiatives that promoted university-industry synergy. Dr. D. N. Reddy, Principal, University College of Engineering, said a number of measures had been initiated to promote industry- institute interface with R and D. The College, autonomous since 1994-95, had signed an MoU with the ECIl, CITD, SIDBI, SABNIFE Power Systems, Frontier Technologies, Chip Engines, Sunny Vale of USA and NAL, Bangalore, in offering joint programmes and taking up research projects.

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