Hyderabad University launches biggest Bio-Incubator facility

Hyderabad, March 02: The largest Bio-Incubator facility in Hyderabad, perhaps in India, with 20000 square feet built-up area was inaugurated at School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad (UoH), on the National Science Day.

The inauguration took place on February 28, with a facility that is supported by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a unit of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, New Delhi.

"I have seen five such facilities in the country but this BioNEST facility is the best among them. Incubators are required in all government institutions for start-ups to commence their work," said Professor. G Padmanabhan, Padma awardee, and former Director, Indian Institute of Science while inaugurating the BioNEST.

"I have gone through 5,000 research proposals and out of that 700 are operational in 500 industries. They have developed 100 products out of which 50 have been commercialized', Padmanabhan added.

Further congratulating the department and university, Padmanaban noted, "Such is the scope of research and I call upon the government institutions which are having 1000 laboratories to start such incubation facilities that can have start-ups capable of aligning with the research happening in the institution".

He called upon the women researchers to take up start-ups and work towards entrepreneurship.

Professor. E. Premkumar Reddy, Director of Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York was the guest of honor at the event.

The BioNEST will incubate startups and entrepreneurs in the life sciences, biotechnology, healthcare and allied areas of research.

The proposed incubation facility broadly fulfills the UoH's vision of innovation and entrepreneurship through cutting-edge science and technology that engages students, researchers, and faculty in the region. The facility will have a profound impact on the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem of the region in general and the campus in particular.