Rourkela: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has approved the Space Technology Incubation Centre (S-TIC) at NIT Rourkela. The MoU between ISRO and NIT Rourkela for setting up S-TIC is signed on Thursday in online meeting mode.
This collaboration with ISRO will open up new opportunities for research & development as well as space start-ups. 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. NIT Rourkela will provide its state of art laboratories, facilities and expert faculties to meet this purpose.
Undoubtedly S-TIC at NIT Rourkela will facilitate, encourage and promote capacity building, innovations and research activities in the whole of the Eastern Region of our country comprising of the states of Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andaman& Nicobar. This S-TIC will enable start-ups to build applications and products that could be used in future space missions. It will also offer a great opportunity for academia to collaborate with industries and contribute to this Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan in the Space Technology sector initiated by ISRO.
ISRO will provide an annual Grant-in-Aid of 2 Cr. up to 2 years to NITR 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. Prof. Susmita Das will be the coordinator of the S-TIC from NIT Rourkela.
The virtual meeting started with a welcome address by Director CBPO, ISRO HQ, Dr.P.V. Venkitakrishnan. He spoke about the purpose of setting up 6 STIC in different parts of the country to strengthen the industry-academia ecosystem and encourage space technology startups.
Addressing the meeting Director of NIT Rourkela, Prof. Animesh Biswas said “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 are one among the best in the country. ISRO’s support will further enhance our research infrastructure.”
A dedicated space has been allocated for the establishment of the 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 etc.
Congratulating NIT Rourkela on this occasion Dr K Sivan Chairman, ISRO and Secretary Department of Space, Government of India highlighted 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. Students and research scholars will execute real projects given by ISRO of NIT Rourkela taking guidance from expert faculties, mentors from ISRO and relevant industries.
A project book YUKTI – Sanchita 2021 was released by Dr Sivan. Finally, the vote of thanks was given by Associate Director, CBPO Mr J. K Pandit and meeting ended with National Anthem.
